David Hare-Scott said:


Higgs Boson wrote:
Here's an interesting article about origin of many seeds we grow in
So. Calif:
=============

Wildflowers of Israel

by Leslie Berliant, Contributing Writer

Lupinus Mountain Blue. Below: Ammi Visnaga. Photos courtesy
SeedCount

Enter any Trader Joe’s grocery store in Southern California and you
are likely to find vibrant sunflowers with golden orange leaves and a
dark center among the bouquets and potted plants. What many
customers
might not realize is that the sunflower being sold is called Jerusalem
Gold, which is grown in Santa Barbara from a seed native to Israel.


Is it native to Israel? I mean in the sense that its first know cultivation
was in Israel from wild stock. I don't know.

Actually, I'm fairly certain that sunflowers were North American natives,
originally.


Many of the cucumbers, bell peppers, basil and tomatoes grown in
Southern California also come from Israeli seeds. Even some vegetables
and herbs imported from places like Mexico come from seeds that
originate in Israel.


This is misleading as it allows one to think that these plants originated in
Israel. Now Iraelis may be responsible for some fine cultivars (such as the
Ha Ogen (sp?) melon) but tomatoes and peppers originated in the New
World.

A whole host of what have become some of our most commonly consumed
vegetables were originally domesticated by the native people of the
Americas.

The advantage of seed production in Israel, for many of these species, is
the *lack* of wild ancestors or closely related native plants. That and, most
likely, easy isolation from large scale farming of the same vegetables.

FWIW, I notice that Japan and Holland turn up as countries origins for quite
a few of my seed packets.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

email valid but not regularly monitored