Thomas Jefferson’s Plant List From His Garden Book, 1767-1821 Dates refer to first mention of a plant in Jefferson’s documents, which include
, edited by Edwin Betts, 1944, unpublished memoranda at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Library of Congress and Princeton University Library. Quotation marks designate varieties undescribed in the literature and are generally Jefferson’s personal names.
Vegetables
Artichoke, Globe 1794
Cynara Scolymus 1808
Green 1808
Red
Artichoke, Jerusalem 1794
Helianthus tuberosa
("Topinambours") 1767
Asparagus 1807
"Cooper's Pale Green" 1804
"East India"
Bean (6 species)
Asparagus Bean
Vigna unguiculata 1809
ssp. sesquipedalis
Broad Bean 1774
Vicia faba 1794
Early Mazagan ("Mazareen") 1794
Horse 1774
Windsor
Caracalla 1792
Vigna caracalla
Garbanzo ("garavance") 1814
Cicer arientium
Green 1774
Phaseolus vulgaris
"Snaps"
"Alexander" 1820
Arikara ("Ricara") 1807
"Bess" 1813
"Blue speckled snap" 1794
"dwarf" 1809
"dwarf beans of Holland 1786
"forward" 1809
"golden dwarf 1794
"grey snaps" 1809
"ground snap" 1794
"Italian" 1820
"red snaps" 1809
"Red speckled snap" 1794
Refugee ("Switzerland gray") 1786
"Roman" 1820
"Tuscan" 1820
"White snap" 1794
"yellow snaps" 1809
"Haricots"
"Alleghany" 1794
"early Sesbon" 1794
French Kidney ("French dry haricot") 1814
Friholio ("the red bean called Friholio") 1813
"haricots roussatres" 1810
"hominy" 1812
"long haricot" 1812
"Julian" 1786
"white haricot" 1819
Wild Goose ("red blossomed kidney bean") 1819
Lima Bean
Phaseolus lunatus 1777
Carolina White 1794
"large lima" 1815
Sugar or Bushel 1794
Scarlet Runner ("Arbor")
Phaseolus coccineus 1791
Beet
Beta vulgaris 1774
“Red" 1774
"Scarlet" 1809
"white" 1774
Black Salsify
Scorzonera hispanica 1812
Broccoli
Brassica oleracea 1767
Black 1824
Cauliflower, White 1809
"December" 1824
"Florence" 1824
"March" 1824
"October" 1824
"Palermo" 1824
Purple, Early Purple 1809
Roman (syn/ w/ "Purple"?) 1809
Brussels Sprouts
Brassica oleracea 1812
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea 1771
"Aberdeen" 1812
Battersea 1816
"Cattle" 1812
Dwarf Early 1813
“early" 1807
"Giant" 1809
"Large White" 1824
“May" 1812
"Neapolitan" 1777
"purple cabbage from Rome" 1777
Red 1774
Savoy 1811
"Curled Cabbage of Paisinetta" 1824
"Curled Savoy" 1811
"Curled Schiane" 1824
Green-curled 1814
"Savoy Green" 1812
Yellow Savoy 1812
Scotch 1794
"Spanish" ("Cavol Capuccio Spagnola di Pisa") 1774
Sugarloaf 1809
Turnip 1801
York, Early York 1809
Carrot
Daucus carota 1774
“early" 1812
“large” 1812
"orange" 1809
"yellow" 1811
Cauliflower
Brassica oleracea 1767
Early 1809
Celery
Apium graveolens var. dulce 1767
Red 1809
Solid 1774
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum 1812
Corn Salad
Valerianella locusta 1794
Cress
Lepidum sativum,
Barbarea sp. 1774
"English" 1794
"Italian" 1774
Upland ("mountain") Barbarea verna 1794
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus 1767
“early" 1794
"early green" 1812
"early white" 1812
"forward" 1794
Early Frame ("frame") 1818
Gherkin Cucumis anguria 1812
Long Green 1811
Serpentine ("mammoth") Trichosanthes anguina 1825
Eggplant ("Melonzoni")
Solanum melongena 1809
Prickly 1812
Purple 1812
White 1812
Endive
Cichorium Endivia 1777
Broad-leaved, "broad" 1794
Green Curled 1809
"smooth" 1809
“winter" 1794
French Sorrel
Rumex acetosa 1774
Garlic
Allium sativum 1774
Gourd
Lagenaria sp. ? 1806
Hop
Humulus lupulus 1794
Horseradish 1794
Armoracia rusticana
Kale
Brassica oleracea 1809
"Buda" 1809
"Delaware" 1809
"Malta" 1809
"Russian" 1812
"Scotch" 1809
"sprout” 1812
Leek
Allium porrum 1794
"common" 1812
"flag" 1812
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa 1767
Brown Dutch ("Dutch brown") 1809
"cabbage" 1794
"Ice" 1809
"Loaf,” "White loaf” 1809
"long leaved" 1794
Marseilles 1809
Roman 1804
Silesia 1819
Tennis Ball 1809
"white" 1812
Melon
Cucumis melo 1774
Cantaloupe 1774
"Cette" 1812
"Egyptian" 1812
"Zatte di Massa" 1774
"Chinese" 1809
Citron, Citrullus lanatus 1794
“green" 1794
"Miami" 1811
"Pepone Arancini. di Pistoia" 1774
Persian 1812
Pineapple 1794
"Venice" 1794
"Winter" 1805
Mustard
Brassica sp. 1777
"Durham" 1812
Red, Brassica nigra 1774
White, Brassica hirta 1794
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus 1774
Okra
Hibiscus esculentus 1809
Onion
Allium cepa 1774
Madeira 1778
Tree, Allium cepa var. viviparum ("hanging") 1809
White Spanish 1774
Orach
Atriplex hortensis 1813
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum 1774
Common, plain-leaved 1809
Curled ("double") 1774
Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa 1774
Pea, Garden
Pisum sativum 1767
"cluster or bunch" 1774
Charlton (Hotspur) 1768
"dwarf peas of Holland. for frames" 1786
"earliest of all" 1767
Early Pearl (Nonesuch) 1778
“early" 1794
"early dwarf" 1794
"forward" 1774
"forward peas of Marly" 1786
"forwardest" 1767
Frame, Early Frame 1809
Hotspur 1809
Leadman's Dwarf (Early Dwarf Sugar?) 1809
"middling" 1767
"latest of all," "latter," "latest" 1767
“Leitch’s pea” 1820
"Leitch' s frame" 1820
"Leitch's latter” 1821
Marrowfat 1773
“May" 1820
Prussian Blue ("blue Prussian") 1809
Spanish Morotto 1768
Pea, Field ("cow," "Crowder")
Pisum sativum var. arvense
"African early" 1809
"Albany" 1808
Black-eye 1774
“early" 1809
“French" 1794
"Black Indian" 1794
Crowder, "gray" 1809
"pearl-eye" 1794
"Ravenscroft" 1807
"Ravensworth" 1808
White-eyed 1794
Peanut ("Peendars")
Arachis hypogaea 1794
Pepper, Bell
Capsicum annuum 1774
Bullnose 1812
“Major" 1812
Pepper, Cayenne
Capsicum annuum 1767
Texas Bird, Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum ("Capsicum
Techas,” "minutissimum") 1814
Pepper Grass
Lepidum sativum 1774
Pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo var. pepo and C. maxima 1774
"black" 1774
"long pumpkin from Malta" 1809
Potato, C. moschata 1794
"solid pumpkin from S. America" 1809
"white" 1774
Radicchio
Cichorium intybus 1774
Radish
Raphanus sativus 1809
"black" 1812
"leather coal" 1824
Oil 1809
"Rose" 1786
"Salmon" 1774
Scarlet, Early Scarlet 1809
"summer" 1809
"violet N.Y." 1817
"White radish. round & forward" 1786
Rape
Brassica napus 1774
"green" 1794
Rhubarb ("esculent rhubarb")
Rheum rhabarbarum or Rheum sp. 1809
Rutabaga
Brassica napus 1795
Salsify
Tragopogon porrifolius 1774
"Columbian" 1812
"Missouri" 1807
Sea Kale
Crambe maritima 1809
Sesame
Sesamum orientale 1808
Shallot
Allium cepa 1774
Spinach
Spinacia oleracea 1771
Prickly-seeded ("winter,” "prickly") 1809
Smooth-seeded, ("Summer,” "Round-leaved") 1809
Squash
Cucurbita pepo vars. pepo and melopepo 1794
Cymbling 1795
“soft" 1809
"warted" 1813
"Cape du Verd" 1812
"Cape of Good Hope" 1812
"long crooked & warted" 1807
Summer 1812
"Warted" 1809
"Winter" 1815
Winter Crooked Neck 1812
Sweet Potato
Ipomoea batatas 1786
Tomato
Lycopersicon lycopersicon 1809
"dwarf" 1817
"Spanish tomato 1811
Turnip
Brassica rapa 1774
Early Dutch 1812
"English" 1794
"forward" ("Raves hatives") 1786
"Frazer's new" 1808
Hanover 1794
Long French 1809
“rose” ("Raves conteur de rose”) 1786
"Summer" 1811
Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus 1774
"Cocomere di Pistoia" 1774
"Cocomere di seme
Neapolitane" 1774
"Mexican" 1820
"Roman" 1809
“Savannah” 1812
Research & images & much more are directly available from the Monticello.org website.
