Garden vegetables are the descendants of thousands of years of selective breeding by humans. By choosing and propagating our favorites, we ensured that select traits that we preferred would become more common, while negative traits less so. Take wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea), a European native that may derive from the eastern Mediterranean Brassica creticus. Early human foragers harvested its leaves as food, but they were tough and rather bitter in taste. As farming developed, seeds from this plant were collected and grown, with better tasting seedlings selected while poorer ones rejected. Over time, better cabbages were developed through this long process of selection.

Photos 1 - 4: Brassica oleracea Broccoli, Brassica oleracea Kale, Daucus carota Carrot, Solanum tuberosum Potato.

But it didn’t stop with cabbages. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower are also derived from Brassica oleracea, through selection for specific characteristics. In broccoli and cauliflower, it’s the flowering heads that we eat and these vegetables were selected for bigger, denser heads with improved flavor. In sprouts, it’s the axillary buds that have become enlarged, while in kale, elaboration of the leaves gives the great diversity of kale textures. Domestication of wild plants by humans has occurred around the world, providing us with the diverse selection of vegetables we cultivate today.

Europe is the source not only of cabbages and kin, but also carrots, parsnips, and turnips. North America gave us pumpkins, maize, and sweet potatoes, while South America provided potatoes, beans, and peppers. From Asia, came onions, peas, and eggplant, and many other fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices have their origins as wild plants in different parts of the world.