Seed Packet Abbreviations

Typical symbols often found on seed packets include:

A Represents either resistance to anthracnose in beans and cucumbers or resistance(or tolerance) to altenaria stem canker, a fungal disease that infects tomatoes.

AAS All-America Selections winner.

BMV Resistant to bean mosaic virus.

CMV Resistant to cucumber mosaic virus, a disease transmitted by aphids that may Infect cucumbers, squash, spinach, tomatoes, and peppers.

DM Resistance (or tolerance) to downy mildew, which infects many crops, especially spinach.

F/FF Resistant to fusarium, a soil-borne fungus that attacks tomatoes & other crops through their roots; FF(or sometimes F2) indicates resistance to two different races of this fungus.

F1 Means the variety is a hybrid;you can’t save seed from the plants you grow & get the same variety again by planting them.

MI Indicates that the lettuce seed has been screened for (and declared free of) lettuce mosaic virus, a seed-borne disease for which resistant varieties are not yet available. Also sometimes listed as MTO.

N Resistant to nematodes, particularly to the southern root knot nematode in tomatoes and peppers.

OP Open-pollinated; you can save the seed of the plants you’ve grown from this seed, plant it again, and get the same variety.

PM Resistance (or tolerance) to powdery mildew, a widespread disease that infects cucumbers, squash, peas, and many other plants.

Se Hybrid sweet corn that has the “sugary enhanced” gene; it’s sweeter than regular sweet corn, but you don’t have to isolate it from other sweet corn varieties to get a good crop.

Se2 Hybrid super sweet corn with the “shrunken 2” gene; it’s sweeter still, but can’t be grown too close to other types of corn (or it could wind up being distinctly un-sweet).

Su Sweet corn with the “normal sugary” gene (could be either open-pollinated or hybrid); requires no isolation from other corn to get a good crop.

T Resistance (or tolerance) to tobacco mosaic virus, a common disease of tomatoes and peppers. Sometime listed as TMV.

V Resistant to verticillium wilt, a common soil-borne disease of tomatoes and eggplants.

Y Resistance (or tolerance) to yellows, the common name for the fusarium that infects cabbage.