Plants of Ancient Pompeii: Pigeon Bean (Vicia faba var. minor
Pigeon bean is a cool weather perennial grown as an annual and member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. Is is one of…
Pigeon bean is a cool weather perennial grown as an annual and member of the pea family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, mimosa, and black locust. Is is one of…
Native to the Middle East and Asia this deciduous shrub or small tree is a member of the mulberry family, Moraceae, that also includes banyan, breadfruit, and Osage-orange. The edible…
Also known as wild cherry, and bird cherry, this deciduous flowering tree is native to Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia, and is the main ancestor of the cultivated cherry.…
The opium poppy is a herbaceous annual native to Greece and western Asia and is a member of the poppy family, Papaverceae, that also includes bleeding heart and corydalis. It…
Rosa gallica is probably the oldest rose in existence. Native to southern and central Europe, it was first domesticated by the ancient Greeks and Romans and most modern roses can…
Also called johnny jump up, this herbaceous annual is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, and a member of the violet family, Violaceae. The ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny…
A fresco in the House of the Golden Bracelet shows a vine with heart shaped leaves and white trumpet-shaped flowers. This plant has been identified by some scholars as a…
Lentil is an annual and a member of the bean family, Fabaceae, that also includes lupines, alfalfa, and black locust. It was first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent by 6,000…
The olive was first cultivated from wild olive at the frontier between Turkey and Syria between 8,000 and 6,000 years ago. By 3000 BC it was cultivated by the Minoans…
The lemon is a small evergreen tree in the rue family, Rutaceae, that also includes curry tree, kumquat, and Skimmia. Native to Northeast India and Northern Myanmar, lemons probably are…