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Common Name

Type

Binomial or Trinomial Name

Details

Family

Picture

Artichoke (also called Globe Artichoke)

Cynara scolymus

Vegetable

Asteraceae

  • 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

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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

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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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Peppers, Bell & Chili

  • Eaten: Fruit

  • Pollination required for fruit production: YES

  • Life cycle: perennial

  • extremely frost-sensitive

  • Reproduces by: seed

  • Some self-pollination, insect-pollination

  • Does not need “buzz-pollination” or Sonication

Capsicum annuum  

Vegetable

Solanaceae

Image by Hans from Pixabay

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Potatoes

  • Eaten: tubers

  • Pollination is not required for tuber production

  • Life cycle: Perennial

  • Reproduces: pieces of tuber with an “eye”, seeds

  • After pollination, it produces fruits containing seeds

  • Insect-pollinated

Solanum tuberosum 

Vegetable

Solanaceae

Image by Catkin from Pixabay

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Pumpkins

Can refer to multiple species in the Genus Cucurbita

SEE WINTER SQUASH

Image by Megan Lee from Pixabay

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Radish

  • Parts Eaten: taproot, leaves

  • Pollination is not required for taproot and leaf production

  • Life Cycle: Mostly Annual, some varieties biennial

  • Reproduces by: seed

  • Insect-pollinated

Raphanus sativus

Vegetable

Brassicaceae

Image by noir_r from Pixabay

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Rhubarb

  • Eaten: leaf stalk

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf stalk production

  • Life cycle: Perennial

  • Reproduces by: root division and seeds

  • Warmth or plant stress causes bolting, or the production of flowers and seeds

  • Insect-pollinated

Rheum × hybridum

Herb

Polygonaceae

Image by Hans from Pixabay

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Rosemary

  • Eaten: leaves and flowers

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf or flower production

  • Life cycle: Perennial

  • Reproduces by cuttings & seed

  • Self-pollinated, though insect-pollinated (primarily bees) helps

Salvia Rosmarinus

Herb

Lamiacae

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

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Sage

  • Eaten: leaves

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf production

  • Life cycle: Perennial

  • Reproduces by seeds, cuttings

  • Self-pollinated, though insect-pollination is required for cross-pollination.

Salvia officinalis

Herb

Lamiacae

Image by darja from Pixabay

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Scallions (also known as Green Onions)  

  • Eaten: leaf top

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf top production

  • Life cycle: Perennial, usually grown as an Annual

  • Reproduces by seed

  • Insect-pollinated

Allium cepa

Vegetable

Amaryllidaceae

Image by Quan Tran Minh from Pixabay

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Spinach

  • Eaten: leaves

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf production

  • Life cycle: Annual, occasionally biennial

  • Reproduces by seeds, stem cuttings

  • Wind-pollinated

Spinacia oleracea

Vegetable

Amaranthaceae

Image by Angeles Balaguer from Pixabay

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Strawberries

  • Eaten: what is commonly described as fruit together with the seeds

  • Pollination is needed for fruit and seed production

  • Life cycle: Perennial

  • Reproduces vegetatively via runners, which, when allowed to root, form additional plants

  • Self-pollinating, but with additional insect pollination, yields can be higher

Fragaria × ananassa

Fruit

Rosaceae

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Summer Squash

  • Eaten: Fruit containing seeds

  • Pollination is needed for fruit production

  • Life cycle: Annual

  • Reproduces by seeds

  • Monoecious (male and female flowers on the same plant)

  • Specialist bee pollinator (when present): “squash bees” or, in Maine, Peponapis pruinose

  • Otherwise, insect-pollinated, primarily bees

Cucurbita pepo subsp pepo

Vegetable

Cucurbitacae

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Sweet Corn

  • Eaten: seeds

  • Pollination is needed for seed production

  • Life cycle: Annual

  • Reproduces by seed

  • Wind-pollinated – but honey bees and other insects are attracted to the pollen and help

Zea mays

Vegetable

Poaceae

Image by Silvia from Pixabay

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Sweet Potatoes a/k/a Yams

  • Eaten: Tubers

  • Pollination is not required for tuber production

  • Life cycle: Mostly grown as an Annual, though technically a Perennial

  • Reproduction is usually vegetative, where “slips” or cuttings from the vines are planted

  • Self-pollinating

Ipomoea batatas

Vegetable

Convolvulaceae

Image by Beverly Buckley from Pixabay

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Swiss Chard

  • Eaten: leaves and stems

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf and stem production

  • ·Life cycle: Biennial – seed production in the 2nd year

  • Reproduces by seed

  • Primarily wind-pollinated, but are also insect-pollinated

Beta vulgaris

Vegetable

Chenopodiaceae

Image by Mabel Amber from Pixabay

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Thyme

  • Eaten: leaves and flowers

  • Pollination is not needed for leaf and flower production

  • Life cycle: Perennial

  • Reproduces by root division, cuttings, and seed

  • Mostly insect-pollinated, though some self-pollination is possible

Thymus vulgaris

Herb

Lamiaceae

Image by Kerstin Riemer from Pixabay

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Turnip

  • Variety differs from other Brassica rapa

  • Parts Eaten: Taproot and leaves

  • Pollination is not needed for tap root and leaf production

  • Life cycle: Biennial – overwintering is necessary for seed production

  • Reproduces by seed

  • Primarily insect-pollinated, though some self-pollination is possible

Brassica rapa variety rapa

Vegetable

Brassicaceae

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Winter Squash

  • Similar to Summer Squash but selected for longer keeping

  • Includes C. argyrosperma, C. maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo

  • Many cultivars and varieties

  • Eaten: fruit containing seeds

  • Pollination is needed for fruit production

  • Life cycle: Annual

  • Reproduces by seed

  • Specialist bee pollinator (when present): “squash bees” or in Maine, Peponapis pruinose

  • Otherwise, insect-pollinated, primarily bees

Genus: Cucurbita

Vegetable

Cucurbitacae

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Zucchini

Cucurbita pepo subsp pepo

SEE SUMMER SQUASH

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