We were all told at a young age that the “New World” had untold bounties and vast amounts of land. The settlers and eventually the colonies grew large amounts of crops while they founded the United States. Corn and winter squash were some of the native crops in North America, but it may be more interesting to note that these six crops are not actually native to these lands.
1.) Peaches
Unsplash/Ian Baldwin
Do not tell Georgia! Did you know that despite having great growing conditions in the southern states, like Georgia, the peach is actually native to China. People have been picking peaches for more around 4,000 years. The first time this delicious fruit touched U.S. soil was back in the 1500s.
2.) Apples
Even though it is the most consumed fruit in the country, apples are not native to North America. Apples actually came from Kazakhstan, and the first apple orchard was not planted in the United States until 1625. Also, “what’s more American than apple pie?” is technically a false statement. The recipe for an apple pie actually dates back to 14th century England.
3.) Spinach
This is actually a Persian vegetable. It dates back to what is now Iran. It was first grown in the U.S. back in the 1800s.
4.) Carrots
This is one of the most popular vegetables enjoyed by Americans, but its origins date back to Central Asia. When it was first cultivated back in Persia in the early 10th century, it actually would not look like the crop we know today. Back then, they were actually purple or yellow. It took six hundred years for them to develop the orange color we are so familiar with.
5.) Peanuts
It is interesting that the first peanut was not grown in the United States until the 18th century. This staple of American agriculture is actually from the Andes Mountains. The Spanish helped spread the crop throughout Europe and into Africa and Asia.
6.) Oranges
The iconic fruit of Florida is actually European. However before that, some historians believe that the first orange was grown in the Himalayas as far back as 8,000,000 years ago. The first orange to actually be grown in North America was in St. Augustine in the 1500s.
Story via Lindsay Campbell with Modern Farmer
