Abelmoschus esculentus
Origin: Oakwood, GA
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~60
Germination tested 02/2026: 87%
Life cycle: Annual
“White” okra varieties were once favorites across the South, but fell out of favor with the advent of industrial agriculture, and many were lost. 'Whidby White' was once one of these lost varieties, but has been recovered thanks to the work of the Seed Savers Exchange, Chris Smith of the Utopian Seed Project, and a whole community of seed stewards who helped bring it back! It’s a productive and tasty okra that has a little inherent diversity and has been grown in the region since 2018. Jamie Swofford of Old North Farm grows it as a market staple. Approximately 60 days to harvest.
This variety was first donated to Seed Savers Exchange in the late 1980s by Mrs. H.L. Jarrard of Oakwood, GA and is said to have been around since the 1800s.
Our seed was grown by Matt Wallace of the Appalachian Seed Growers Collective.
