
Over the past weeks, Gardening While Black has published an inventory of select African Diaspora plants in five parts. For your reference, this is the complete list. We have assembled more than 100 plants from various sources - books, publications, prototype gardens and conferences - in order to identify plants that inextricably connected to the descendants of the Middle Passage and the peoples of West Africa.
Our select African Diaspora plant inventory is currently North American and Caribbean-centric. We will eventually add more plants from the gardening scene in West Africa, the Caribbean and South America.
PLANT | CLASS | BACKGROUND / ORIGINS | SOURCE |
Ackee/Akee Apple | Blighia sapida | West Africa; tropical; Ackee and salt fish - popular dish in Caribbean; fruit of Sapindaceae (Soapberry) | NYBG-Caribbean; In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy In The Atlantic World - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Aloe | Aloe vera | Native to tropical and southern Africa, Madagascar, Jordan, the Arabian Peninsula and islands in the Indian Ocean | |
Amaranth: Calaloo | Amaranthus spinosus | Domesticated in Africa, Americas and the Caribbean; Vegetable amaranth | NYBG-Caribbean; Truelove Seeds; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Annatto | Bixa orellana | Orange-red condiment/food coloring; thrives in warm, humid climates (India, Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica and other locations) | NYBG-Caribbean; Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity (Slow Food Foundation) |
Arrowroot | Maranta arundinacea | West Indian arrowroot; from indigenous group, arawak; tropical root vegetable | |
Banana: African rhino horn, Grand Palm | Musa acuminata x musa balbisiana | ||
Basil: Besobela (Ethiopian Basil); Vana Tulsi | Ocimum basilicum var. minimum; Besobela - Ocimum spp/; Vana - Ocimum gratissimum | Besobela - Ethiopia; Vana - Africa, Madagascar, southern Asia,Bismarck Archipelago of New Guinea Vana - West African culinary herb | |
Bay Laurel | Laurus nobvbilis | ||
Bean (legume): Black turtle, Kebariuka, Red kidney bean (light), Pole snap bean | Phaseolus vulgaris | Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land - 2018 (L. Penniman); NYBG-Caribbean; Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance | |
Bean: Lima bean; Speckled Brown Butterbean (Bush) | Phaseolus lunatus | Per Truelove, Speckled Brown Butterbean considered a traditional delicacy of North American South; origin in South America | |
Bean: Mbogo green | Lablab purpureus | Kenya; East Africa; Creator god Mbombo | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Pennman); In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy In The Atlantic World - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Butterfly milkweed | Asclepius tuberosa | Native to eastern and southwest North America | |
Cassava, manihot, yuca | Manihot esculenta; Euphorbiaceae | Edible leaves and tuber; requires special cooking technique to reduce poison; Origin - tropics | NYBG-Caribbean; Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science |
Catnip | Nepeta cataria | Mint family; medicinal properties | |
Chayote | Sicyos edulis (educe); Sechium edule | Mexico-Central America-Caribbean; Squash, in gourd family - cucurbitaceae; used in many Cuban recipes; hot tropical gardens | NYBG-Caribbean; Slow Food Foundation; Heirloom Vegetable Gardening: A Master Gardener’s Guide To Planting, Seed Saving, and Cultural History - 2018 (W.W. Weaver) |
Cilantro (Coriander) | Coriandrum sativum | Edible annual herb likely native to the Mediterranean | |
Coffee (robusta) | Coffee robusta | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Corn: Sea Island White Flint | Zea mays | Crops from Sea Islands, Georgia, South Carolina | |
Cucumber: Burr Gherkin, West Indian gherkin | Cucumis anguria | Angola to Caribbean | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Cucumber: Cerasee (African cucumber/bitter melon/balsam pear) | Momordica charantia 'big top’, charantia ‘goya’, 'jade dragon’, ‘cundeamor' | Bitter melon leaf used in Jamaica for healing properties of leaves | NYBG-Caribbean; Truelove Seeds; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Culantro | Eryngium foetidum | Culinary and medicinal leafy greens commonly used in Caribbean and Latin America | |
Curry tree | Murraya koenigii | Tropical and subtropical tree native to Asia | NYBG-Caribbean |
Eggplant: Louisiana long green eggplant, Rosita, White Garden Egg | Solanum melongena | From Asia to Africa; fruits, Southern and Creole gardens | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman) |
Eggplant: Striped Garden Egg (Striped Toga Eggplant), White Garden Egg, Rotunda Red Eggplant | Solanum aethiopicum var. Gilo | Rotunda Red Eggplant arrived in Europe from Africa by end of the 19th century | Truelove Seeds; Sistah Seeds; Slow Food Foundation; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Elderberry | Mentyha x piperita | ||
Garlic: Music | Allium sativum var. Ophioscorodom | ||
Ginger, Peruvian yellow | Zingiber officinale | ||
Gourd: Birdhouse Gourd, Bradshaw’s Bottle Gourd | Lagenaria siceraria | NYBG-African-American; While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) | |
Greens (Collard Greens): Alabama Blue, Green Glaze, Nancy Malone Wheat Purple, Variegated, William Alexander | Brassica oleracea | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); Truelove Seeds | |
Greens: Dandelion | Cichorium intybus ‘Catalogna’ | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman) | |
Greens: East African, Ethiopian Blue Kale | Brassica carinata | Amara Ethiopia | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); Sistah Seeds |
Greens: Efo Gburę, Waterleaf | Talinum fruticosum; Talcum triangulare | Nigeria leafy vegetable | |
Greens: Efo shoko, Lagos spinach/Nigerian spinach | Celosia argentea | Nigeria, Benin, Congo and Cameroon; type of Celosia; related to Amaranth | |
Greens: Eggplant, Gbognome collard | Solanum melongena; Solanum macrocarpon | Togo, West Africa; edible leaves | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); Sistah Seeds |
Greens: Lacinato Rainbow Mix, Premier, Moses Smith Yellow Cabbage Collard | Brassica oleracea | Moses Smith Yellow Cabbage Collard is part of the heirloom collards project; received by the Seed Savers Exchange in 2016. | |
Greens (Mustard): Carolina Broadleaf, Southern Giant Curled | Brassica juncea | ||
Greens (Turnip): Seven Top Turnips | Brassica rapa | 1830s Virginia | |
Greens (Spinach): Molokhia Egyptian Spinach | Corchorus olitorius | Ghana, Burkina Faso; Palestine | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); Truelove Seeds |
Greens (Cress): Creasy Greens | Barbarea verna | Commonly referred to as mountain cress | |
Guinea pepper | Xylopia aethiopica | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) | |
Hibiscus (Sorrel): Doc’s North, Florida, Roselle, Red | Hibiscus sabdariffa | Roselle, Hibiscus, Bissau | NYBG-African-American; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney); NYBG-Caribbean; Truelove Seeds |
Hibiscus (Sorrel): Shoeblack Hibiscus | Hibiscus rosa-sinensis | Choeblack; rose cayenne | |
Hibiscus (Sorrel): White | Hibiscus albus | Senegal | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Jamaican vervain | Stachytarpheta jamaicensis | Grows in Caribbean and Central America; commonly used for medicinal purposes and tea | |
Jute Mallow: ewedu | Corchorus Olitorius | West Africa; Leafy green vegetable (soups/sauces) | |
Melon: Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelon | Citrullus lanatus | West Africa | Truelove Seeds; NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman) |
Melon: Muskmelon | Cucumis melo L. | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Melon: Egusi melon | Cucumeropsis edulis (cucurbitaceous) | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Millet: Dragon’s Claw | Eleusine coracana | Finger Millet | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - (L. Penniman); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Millet: Pearl Millet; Guinea Millet | Pennisetum glaucum; Cenchrus americanus; Brachiaria deflexa | NYBG-African-American; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden | |
Nut: Bambara Groundnut, Goober pea, Zimbabwe Red Bambara | Vigna subterranea (formerly Voandzia subterranean) | Africa - Ethiopia, Mali Angola, Northern Nigeria/Caneroon; Bambara nut, Pindar | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - (L. Penniman); In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney); Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance; Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Nut: Peanut (Goober nut), Carolina Runner, Peanut Black Runner; Black Pindar Peanut | Arachis hypogaea | Native to South America | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); NYBG-Caribbean; 100 Vegetables - 2000 (W.W. Weaver); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Nut: Kola nut | Cola nitida; Cola acuminata | West African | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Okra: Alabama Red, Burgundy, Cowtown, Hill Country Red, Puerto Rico Everblush, Sea Island Red, White Velvet; Catawba Freedman Okra | Abelmoschus esculentus; Hibiscus esculentus | Sea Island Red (Gullah Geechee community); White Velvet (variety provided to William Woys Weaver in the. Mid-1990s) | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - (L. Penniman); Truelove Seeds; Sistah Seeds; The Whole Okra - 2019 (Chris Smith); In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney); Heirloom Vegetable Gardening - 2018 (W.W. Weaver); Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance |
Okra: Moody Family Okra | Abelmoschus caillei | West Africa | |
Onion: Alisa Craig, New York Early, Red Wethersfield, Figaro Rodriguez | Allium cepa; Allium cepa var. Aggregatum | ||
Onion: Chives | Allium schoenoprasum | ||
Onion (Scallions): Evergreen White Bunching | Allium fistulosum | NYBG-Caribbean; Heirloom Vegetable Gardening - 2018 (W.W. Weaver) | |
Palm: Coconut Palm | Cocos nucifera | ||
Palm: Oil Palm | Elaeis guineensis | Guinea, West and Southwest Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Pepper (hot): Buena Mulata, Fish Pepper; Ole Pepperpot | Capsicum annuum | Collected and preserved by painter Horace Pippin and reintroduced by William Woys Weaver. | NYBG-African-American; Truelove Seeds; Sistah Seeds; 100 Vegetables and Where They Came From - 2000 (W.W. Weaver) |
Pepper (hot): Aji Dulce, Chocolate seven pot, Scotch Bonnet, Tobago, Trinidad seven pot, West Indies Red | Capsicum chinense | NYBG-African-American; NYBG-Caribbean; 100 Vegetables - 2000 (W.W. Weaver) | |
Pepper (hot): Mboga, Tabasco; Piri Piri Pepper Mix (African Bird’s Eye Chili) | Capsicum frutescens | Vegetable pepper Zanzibar | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); NYBG-Caribbean; Sistah Seeds |
Pepper (hot): Melegueta Pepper | Aframomum melegueta | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) | |
Pepper (low heat): Trinidad Seasoning Pepper | Capsicum Chinese | Popular cooking pepper in Trinidad and Tobago | |
Parsley: Giant of Italy | Petroselinum crispum | ||
Pea: Red peas, Sea Island; Purple Hull Pinkeye, Sea Island Rice Pea; Ezell Family Fish Eye Blackeyed Pea, Brown Crowder, Iron and Clay, First Lady Northern, Whippoorwill | Vigna unguiculata | West Africa; Gullah Geechee variety; Beecher red pea | Truelove Seeds; Sistah Seeds; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); NYBG-African-American; NYBG-Caribbean; Heirloom Vegetable Gardening - 2018 (W.W. Weaver); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Pea: Pigeon peas, Gandules, Gungo peas | Cajanus cajan | Gandules in Spanish; Gungo peas in Jamaica | |
Plantain | Plantago major | ||
Plantain: Dwarf Puerto Rican | Musa | ||
Potato: Irish Potato | Solanum tuberosum | ||
Potato: Dazo/Fingerling | Plectranthus esculentus | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Potato: Hausa potato/piasa | Solenostemon rotundifolius | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Potato, Sweet Potato: Beauregard, Boniato, Pumpkin yam sweet potato | Ipomoea batatas | “Diasporic King of Crops”; in North America, sweet potatoes became a substitute for true yams from Africa; Boniato is a sweet potato with dry, white flesh | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black; NYBG-Caribbean; 100 Vegetables - (W.W. Weaver); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Pumpkin: Calabaza, Haitian pumpkin | Cucurbita moschata | Joumou pumpkin | NYBG-Caribbean; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); Heirloom Vegetable Gardening - (W.W. Weaver) |
Pumpkin: Fluted pumpkin | Telfairia occidentalis | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Purslane | Portulaca oleracea | ||
Rabbits tobacco: Sweet everlasting | Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium | ||
Rice | Oryza Glaberrima | Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas - 2001 (J. Carney) | |
Rice: Buffalo, Carolina Gold, Djubuh, M’Bale, WAB 56-104 | Oryza Sativa | NYBG-Caribbean; Black Rice - 2001 (J. Carney) | |
Sesame: Blue Sesame, Sea Island Benne, Beniseed | Sesamum indicum; Sesamum radiatum | West Africa | Truelove Seeds; Sistah Seeds; NYBG-African-American; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Sorghum: Coral, Sugar Drip (Guinea Corn) | Sorghum bicolor | South of Sudan to Mauritania | NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); Truelove Seeds; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney); Colonial Williamsburg Sankofa Heritage Garden |
Spices: Turmeric, Cardamon, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Nutmeg, Allspice, Curry; Allspice | Turmeric-Curcuma longa; Cardamon-Elletaria cardamomum; Cinnamon-Cinnamomum verum; Vanilla-Vanilla planifolia (orchid family-Orchidaceae); Nutmeg-Myristica fragrans; Allspice-Pimenta dioica; Curry-Murraya koenigii; Allspice-Pimenta dioica | ||
Squash: White bush scalloped squash | Cucurbita pep | North American indigenous people | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman) |
Squash: Green-striped Cushaw pumpkin | Cucurbita mixta; Curcurbita argyrosperma | Farming While Black - (L. Penniman); Sistah Seeds | |
Sugar Cane: Bourboriat Suriname, Homeowners green, Jamaican stripe, Purple Ribbon, Red variety | Saccharum officinarum | ||
Sunchoke: Jerusalem artichoke | Helianthus tuberosus | ||
Sweet flag root | Acor acorus calamus var. americanus | Used by Native American tribes for ceremonies, medicine and trade. | |
Tamarind | Tamarindus indica | Native to tropical Africa; used for foods, beverages and medicines; legume family | NYBG-Caribbean; Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science |
Taro | Colocasia esculenta | Food staple, root vegetable; African, Oceanic, East Asian, Southeast Asian | |
Tomato: Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad Tomato, Moyamensing (Eastern State Prison), Goose Creek, Paul Robeson, Plate de Haiti, Purple Calabash | Solanum lycopersicum | According William Woys Weaver, the Plate de Haiti has been grown in Haiti and the Dominican Republic since before the 1560s. | Truelove Seeds; Sistah Seeds; NYBG-African-American; Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); From Seed to Skillet: A Guide to Growing, Tending, Harvesting and Cooking Up Fresh, Healthful Food to Share with People You Love - 2010 (Jimmy Williams) |
Tomato: Black nightshade; Nightshade | Solanum nigrum; Solanum macrocarbon | Farming While Black - 2018 (L. Penniman); In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) | |
Tomato: Chiapas, bitter tomato | Solanum pimpinellifolium; Solanum incanum | NYBG-Caribbean; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) | |
Yam: African White | Dioscorea rotundata | West Africa | NYBG-African-American; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Yam: Guinea Yam, Yellow Yam | Dioscorea cayenensis | West Africa | NYBG-African-American; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Yam: Indian Yam, Inhame, Cush-Cush | Dioscorea trifida | Caribbean, Central/South America | |
Yam: True Yam (Air potato yam) | Dioscorea bulbifera | NYBG-Caribbean; In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) | |
Yam: Three-leaved bitter yam | Discorea dumetorum | West Africa | In the Shadow of Slavery - 2009 (J. Carney) |
Yam: Yam potato | Solanum tuberous | Plant migrated from South Carolina to England in the 1700s; Weaver: “a living artifact of African-American history…” | 100 Vegetables - 2000 (W.W. Weaver) |
Yautia Lila, Malanga blanca | Xanthosoma sagittifolium | Root vegetable; South America and the tropics; Puerto Rican starchy tuber; substitute for potatoes or yams |
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