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Common Name
Details
Type
Binomial or Trinomial Name
Family
Picture
Artichoke (also called Globe Artichoke)
Cynara scolymus
Vegetable
Asteracceae
Eaten: Unripened flower heads and bracts
Does not need pollination to produce flower heads & bracts
Reproduces by: seeds and suckers
Life cycle: Perenial
Insect Pollinated
Public Domain
Asparagus
Phaseolus vulgaris
Asparagaceae
Vegetable
Part Eaten: shoot
Does not need pollination to produce shoots
Reproduces by: seeds and crowns
Life cycle: Perenial
Primarily wind-pollinated, but pollination additional insect pollination increases yields
Image by Anrita from Pixabay
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Basil
Ocimum basilicum
Vegetable
Lamiaceae
Eaten: leaves
Does not need pollination to produce leaves
Reproduces by: seeds and cuttings
Life cycle: Annual
Insect-pollinated
Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay
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Beans
Phasealus vulgaris
Vegetable
Fabacae
Parts eaten: seeds & unripe seed pods
Pollination is required for seed and unripe seed pod production
Reproduces by: seeds
Life cycle: Annual
Self-pollinated
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Beet
Beta vulgaris vulgaris
Vegetable
Amaranthaceae
Eaten: roots and leaves
Does not need pollination to produce roots and leaves
Reproduces by: seeds
Life cycle: Biennial - seed production in 2nd year
Primarily wind-pollinated; some insect-pollination also
Image by Alexey Hulsov from Pixabay
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Bok Choy
Brassice Rapa Chinensis
Vegetable
Brassicaceae.
Eaten: leaves
Does not need pollination to produce leaves
Reproduces by: seeds
Life cycle: Biennial - seed production in 2nd year
Insect-pollinated
Image by Joe from Pixabay
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Broccolli
Brassica oleracea
(Italica cultivar)
Vegetable
Brassicaceae.
Eaten: bud stage flowers
Does not need pollination to produce bud stage flowers
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduces by seeds and cuttings
Insect-pollinated
Image by Jenny Johansson from Pixabay
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Brussels Sprouts
Brassica oleracea
(Gemmifera cultivar)
Vegetable
Brassicaceae.
Eaten: leaf-like flower buds
Does not need pollination to produce leaf-like flower buds
Biennial – seed production in the 2nd year
Reproduces by seeds
Insect-pollinated
Image by Ben Kerckx from Pixabay
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Cabbage, Green also known as White
Brassica oleracea
(White cabbage cultivar)
Vegetable
Brassicaceae.
Eaten: leaves and core
Does not need pollination to produce leaves and core
Life Cycle: Biennial, though usually treated as Annual
Reproduces by seeds, stem cuttings
Insect-pollinated
Image by FonBac from Pixabay
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Cantaloupe
Cucumis melo melo
(Cantalupensis cultivar)
Fruit
Cucurbitaceae
Eaten: flesh (mesocarp) surrounding the seed cavity
Does require pollination to produce flesh & seed cavity
Life Cycle: Annual
Reproduces by seeds
Male and female flowers on the same plant
Insect pollinated (including honey bees, when present. Not usually pollinated by Squash bees)
Image by Davgood Kirshot from Pixabay
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Carrots
Eaten: roots
Does not need pollination to produce roots
Life cycle: Biennial – seed production in the 2nd year
Reproduces by seeds
“Although a number of insects visit carrot flowers and pollinate them, some species of flies may be better pollinators than honey bees.” – Wikipedia
Daucus carota subsp. Sativus
Vegetable
Apiaceae
Image by svklimkin from Pixabay
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Catnip/Catmint
Eaten: leaves
Does not need pollination to produce leaves
Life Cycle: Perennial
Reproduces by seeds, root division, cuttings
Generally insect-pollinated, including honey bees
Nepeta cataria
Herb
Lamiaceae
Image by sandi from Pixabay
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Cauliflower
Several Cultivars
Eaten: unopened flower buds - also known as the head or curds
Does not need pollination to produce flower buds
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduces by seeds
Insect-pollinated
Brassica oleracea
Vegetable
Brassicaceae
Image by Couleur from Pixabay
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Celery
Eaten: stalk
Does not need pollination to produce stalk.
Life cycle: while Biennial, it is usually grown as an Annual
Reproduces by seed, replanting root system, forcing root growth from stalk
Insect-pollinated, including honey bees
Apium graveolens dulce
Herb
Apiaceae
Image by Beverly Buckley from Pixabay
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Chives
Eaten: leaves and flowers
Does not need pollination to produce leaves and flowers
Life cycle: Perennial
Reproduces by: seed
Insect-pollinated, including honey bees
Allium schoenoprasum
Used as Herb and Vegetable
Amaryllidaceae
Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay
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Coriander/Cilantro
Eaten: leaves and seeds
Does not need pollination to produce leaves
Requires pollination to produce the seeds
The leaves are sometimes called Cilantro
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduces by: seeds and less commonly by cuttings
Insect-pollinated, especially honey bees
Coriandrum sativum
Herb
Apiaceae
Image by Pitsch from Pixabay
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Cucumber
Eaten: fruit
Requires pollination to produce fruit
(even seedless cultivars require pollination to produce fruit)
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduce by: seeds & cuttings.
When present, squash bees are a specialist pollinator (in Maine, Peponapis pruinose)
Otherwise, insect-pollinated, including honey and bumble bees
Cucumis sativus
Vegetable
Cucurbitaceae
Image by Artur Pawlak from Pixabay
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Dill
Part consumed: seeds & leaves – all parts of the plant are edible
Leaves are called “dillweed”
Requires pollination to produce seeds:
Does not need pollination to produce leaves
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduces by: seeds
Insect-pollinated, especially by honey bees
Anethum graveolens
Herb
Apiaceae
Image by Unknown Pixabay Contributor
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Fennel
Part Consumed: fruit and seed
Requires pollination to produce fruit and seed
Life cycle: Perennial
Reproduction by: seeds, root division, cuttings
Insect-pollinated, especially by honey bees
Foeniculum vulgare
Herb
Apiaceae
Image by Couleur from Pixabay
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Garlic
Eaten: bulb made up of cloves
Does not need pollination to produce bulb/cloves
Life cycle: Perennial
Reproduces most often asexually using cloves
Seed is insect-pollinated – needs pollen from other garlic plants
Allium sativum
Vegetable
Amaryllidaceae
Image by Светлана from Pixabay
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Lavender
Eaten: leaves & flower buds
Does not need pollination to produce leaves and flower buds
Life cycle: Perennial
47 known species (per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavandula)
Reproduces by seeds, stem cuttings
Insect-pollinated
Genus Lavandula
Herb
Lamiaceae
Image by Hans from Pixabay
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Leeks
Eaten: the lower white stem of leaves
Does not need pollination for leaf and flower bud production
Life cycle: Biennial
Reproduces by seed; can be regrown from root kept in water
Harvested before “bolting” or when flowers bloom
Insect-pollination is encouraged for seed production; limited self-pollination
Allium ampeloprasum
Vegetable
Amaryllidaceae
Image by Wolfgang Eckert from Pixabay
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Lettuce
Eaten: leaves and stems
Does not need pollination for leaf and stem production
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduces by seed, stem cuttings, and root division
Harvested before “bolting”/flower bloom
Primarily self-pollinating, though it can be insect-pollinated
Lactuca sativa
Vegetable
Asteraceae
Image by Annette Meyer from Pixabay
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Mint (garden mint / Spearmint)
Parts consumed: Leaves
Does not need pollination for leaf production
Life cycle: Perennial
Harvested before flower bloom
Some self-pollination, also insect-pollinated
Mentha spicata
Herb
Lamiaceae
Image by Unknown Pixabay Contributor
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Mushrooms, white button
Eaten: stem and cap
Does not need pollination for stem and cap production
Life cycle: Annual, Perennial, etc., do not apply to Fungi
Multiple harvests per year are possible
Reproduces by pieces of mycelium
Agaricus bisporus
Fungi
Agaricaceae
Image by Franz W. from Pixabay
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Mustard, Yellow, or sometimes called White
Eaten: seeds (ground)
Requires pollination for seed production
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduces by seeds
Harvested after seeds have formed
Wind and Insect-pollinated
Sinapis alba
Herb
Brassicaceae
Image by sandeep gill from Pixabay
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Onions, Common Yellow
Eaten: Bulb
Pollination is not required for bulb production
Life cycle: Perennial, usually grown as an Annual
Reproduces by seeds, though some varieties can reproduce asexually. Egyptian Walking Onions reproduce by bulbils
Insect-pollinated
Allium cepa
Vegetable
Amaryllidaceae
Image by NIDEO_NICS Hokkaido from Pixabay
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Oregano
Eaten: Leaves
Pollination is not required for leaf production.
Life cycle: Perennial
Reproduces by seeds, cuttings, and rhizome spread
Insect Pollinated
Origanum vulgare
Herb
Lamiaceae
Image by Jan Haerer from Pixabay
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Parsley
Eaten: Leaves and sometimes Seeds
Pollination is not required for leaf production
Pollination is required for seed production
Life cycle: Biennial
Reproduces by: seeds
Produces flowers and seeds in 2nd Year
Insect Pollinated
Petroselinum crispum
Herb
Apiaceae
Image by Gulzer Hossain from Pixabay
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Peas
Eaten: seeds & seed pod
Pollination is required for seed & seed pod production
Life cycle: Annual
Reproduce by seed
Mostly self-pollinating, though some insect-pollination occurs
Lathyrus oleraceus
Vegetable
Fabaceae
Image by CJ from Pixabay
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