There’s lots of labels on those seed packets or plants you pick up at the garden center or from your favorite catalog. Some of the information – and misinformation – you might find on those seed packets.
Hybrid - is a plant (or any living organism, technically) with two different parents.
Open Pollinated - is one whose genetics are stable enough that there is no need for specific parent plants, because the seeds produced from either self-pollination (as in the case of beans and tomatoes) or cross-pollination with the same variety will produce the same variety.
Heirloom - is basically an open-pollinated plant that has a history, either through age (50-plus years) or through heritage (it has a family story).
GMO-Free or Non-GMO - the label of GMO-Free is largely meaningless and sometimes misleading. You can rest assured that there are currently no genetically engineered seeds or plants available to home gardeners. Not on the seed rack at the box store nor your local garden center and not in a catalog or online.
Organic - in seeds, the term Organic largely refers to seeds harvested from plants that were certified organic. Generally speaking, these seeds were produced on plants that received no synthetically produced fertilizers or pesticide sprays. However, it does not mean that the plants were not treated with pesticides. There’s a great misunderstanding about organic production – there are a number of pesticides and even seed treatments approved for use on organic crops. Typically, they are produced from a plant or microorganism extract, naturally occurring mineral, or other organic derivative. So organic does not equal pesticide free (on the seed rack or on the grocery shelf).
“Natural” - there is no recognized definition of natural by the USDA or any other body. Companies use that term to mean whatever they want it to mean, meaning that it is relatively meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
Article: The Garden Professors / 2017
