Looking for some background on this beet
 

I bought some 'Lutz Green Leaf' beet seeds a few months ago from an heirloom website, and I've been trying to find out where they come from ever since. I'm an Albertan and I like to collect seeds from cultivars that have roots in and around the area.

It looks like it has some history in Western Canada, but I can't for the life of me find any specific sources or records. It is included in a historical garden at Heritage Park in Calgary. One seed company says that it has an Amish/Mennonite origin, and the name certainly suggests some sort of German or Anabaptist connection, but I haven't been able to find any supplementary information.

Does anybody know where this beet may have come from?

Hello,
Knew a large family named Lutz in sturgeon county Alberta :) neighbors growing up
Quite certain your beet is a German heirloom. Goes by other names such as winterkeeper and green salad chard. Try googling winterkeeper lutz beet or German lutz beet.
KarenO

Thanks for the leads Karen. There's a fair number of Germans in that area, that's for sure! I have been conducting a search 'auf Deutsch' as well but no leads so far.

The 'Winterkeeper' beet has raised more questions- 'Lutz Green Leaf' has a green leaf stalk all the way down to the root, while 'Winterkeeper' appears to have a red leaf stalk. Apart from the difference in colour, they seem to have the same characteristics in terms of size and taste, different strains of the same beet?

The first thing I noticed is that you are in zone 3A Canada, and I am in zone 8A Texas. I thought to myself, "How can any advice or info that I know help you?" I looked up info anyway.

When I looked 'Lutz Green Leaf' beet up I found many seed selling sites. By what all I read, I think it may not be a German variety per se, but a European variety instead. This site [URL]https://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search?item=2170[/URL] pretty much agrees what I think. It sounds like a good tasting beet with a long storage life.

I have only grown Detroit Dark Red beets. They are very tasty. To me, they are a blend of earthy soil and sunshine in the form of a beet. Here in zone 8A Texas - it was too hot to grow good tasting beets, so I did not plant any this year.

Hey I appreciate that! Its always nice to see what you and Worth have going on down in Texas, it just snowed here again today.

It looks like a few seed vendors describe it as a "European" beet, I will start combing through a few more seed catalogues then.

I have heard good things about Detroit red, it sounds like a very 'beety' beet. It seems your climate is better suited for tomatoes! Thanks for the tip.

The search continues