Plant Lists - 1802 Catalog - Bernard McMahon - Philadelphia

Bernard McMahon - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

From Ireland, Bernard McMahon moved to Philadelphia in 1776 and by 1802 had established a seedhouse. In 1802 published a broadsheet catalog that included 720 species and varieties of seeds and roots. This was America’s first seed catalog.  Southern Garden History Plant Lists

A CATALOGUE OF GARDEN, GRASS, HERB, FLOWER, TREE & SHRUB-SEEDS, FLOWER –ROOTS, &C.

Sold by Bernard McMahon, Seedsman, No. 129, Chestnut Street, Philadelphia

The Generic and Specific Names and Distinctions, according to the Sexual System of the celebrated LINNAEUS, are annexed to the common, for the use of such Ladies, Gentlemen, and Gardeners, as wish to become scientifically

acquainted with the Plants they cultivate.

Listed in the following categories, the list has been sorted alphabetically by the botanical name.

SEEDS OF ESCULENT ROOTS & HERBS
PEAS AND BEANS
SEEDS OF SWEET AND PORT-HERBS
SEEDS OF PHYSICAL HERBS
SEEDS OF ANNUAL FLOWERS
SEEDS OF BIENNIAL FLOWERS
SEEDS OF ANNUAL FLOWERS
FLOWER ROOTS
SEEDS AND ROOTS USED IN FARMING
SEEDS OF TREES AMD SHRUBS

McMAHON'S Generic & Specific names McMAHON'S Common Names

Acer pennsylvanicum Pennsylvannia Maple
Acer pseudo platanus Sycamore, Great Maple
Acer rubrum Red Flowering Maple
Acer saccharinum Sugar Maple
Achillea ageratum Sweet Milfoil, Maudlin
Achillea Ptarmica Sneeze-wort, Milfoil
Aconitum napellus Monk's hood
Adonis autumnalis Flos Adonis
Aesculus Hippocastanum Common Horse Chestnut
Aesculus Pavia Scarlet Flowering Horse
Agrostemma coronaria Painted Lady, Rose Campion
Agrostemma coronaria Red Rose Campion
Agrostemma coronaria White Rose Campion
Alcea chinensis China Hollyhock
Alcea rosea Double Holyhock
Allium ascalonicum Schallot
Allium Cepa ‘Deptford’ Deptford Onion
Allium Cepa ‘Long Keeping’ Long Keeping Onion
Allium Cepa ‘Portugal’ Portugal Onion
Allium Cepa ‘Red Spanish’ Red Spanish Onion
Allium Cepa ‘Silver Skinned’ Silver Skinned Onion
Allium Cepa ‘Strasburg’ Strasburg Onion
Allium Cepa ‘Tree Onion’ Tree Onion
Allium Cepa ‘White Spanish’ White Spanish Onion
Allium fistulosum ‘Welsh Onion’ Welsh Onion
Allium Porrum Broad English Leek
Allium sativum Garlick
Allium Scorodoprasum Rocambole
Alllium Schoenoprasum Chives
Aloe africana Aloe
Althea officinalis Marsh Mallow
Alyssum minimum Sweet Alysson
Amaranthus bicolor Bicolor Amaranthus
Amaranthus caudatus Love-lies-bleeding
Amaranthus hypocondriacus Prince's Feather
Amaranthus maximus Tree Amaranthus
Amaranthus spica Spike Amaranthus
Amaranthus tricolor Tricolor Amaranthus
Anagalis arvensis Pimpernel
Anemone coronaria Anemone
Anemone Hepatica Hepatica
Anemone hortensis Double Anemone
Anemone pulsatilla Pasque-flower
Anethum azoricum Finochia
Anethum dulce Sweet Fennel
Anethum Goeniculum Common Fennel
Anethum graveolens Dill
Angelica archangelica Garden Angelica
Annona triloba Papaw Tree
Antirrhinum Toad Flax
Antirrhinum majus Red Snapdragon
Antirrhinum majus White Snapdragon
Antirrhinum viscosum Spanish Snap-Dragon
Apium crispum Curled Parsley
Apium graveolens North's Large Celery
Apium graveolens Smallage
Apium graveolens ‘Italian’ Italian Celery
Apium graveolens ‘Solid’ Solid Celery
Apium radice esculenta ‘Large Rooted’ Hamburg Parsley
Apium rapacca Turnep Rooted Celery, Celeriac
Apium sativum Common Parsley
Aquilegia canadensis Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis Double Columbine
Aralia spinosa Angelica Tree
Arbutus Arbutus, Strawberry-Tree
Arbutus uva ursi Trailing Arbutus
Argemone mexicana Mexican Poppy
Artemesia Absinthium Wormwood
Artemisia Dracunculus Tarragon
Asparagus vulgaris
‘Battersea’
Asparagus
Asparagus vulgaris
‘Gravesend’
Asparagus
Asparagus vulgaris ‘Large
Cork’
Asparagus
Aster chinensis Double Blue China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Purple China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Purple China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Purple Striped China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Red Bonnet China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Red China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Red Striped China Aster
Aster chinensis Double Striped China Aster
Aster chinensis Double White China Aster
Aster chinensis Double White China Aster
Aster chinensis Quilled China Aster
Astragalus uliginosus Milk Vetch
Atriplex hortensis Orrach
Azalea nudiflora Upright Honeysuckle
Bellis perennis fistulosa Double Quilled Daisy
Bellis perennis hortensis Double Daisy
Berberis canadensis Canada Berberry
Berberis vulgaris Berberry
Beta vulgaris Long Red Beet
Beta vulgaris Mangel Worzel, Root of Beet, Root of Scarcity
Beta vulgaris Turnep Rooted Red Beet
Betula alba vulgaris White Birch
Betula Alnus Common Alder
Betula Alnus glauca Silver leaved Alder
Betula papyracea Paper Birch
Bignonia Catalpa Catalpa
Bignonia radicans Red Trumpet Flower
Borago officinalis Borage
Brassica Botrytis Large Late Cauliflower
Brassica Botrytis True Early Cauliflower
Brassica capitata Red Pickling Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Early Battersea’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Early Heart Shaped’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Early Russia’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Early Sugarloaf’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Early York’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Large Battersea’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Large Drum-headed’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Large English’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Large Flat Dutch’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata ‘Late Sugarloaf’ Cabbage
Brassica capitata Large Scotch Cabbage Cabbage
Brassica caulorapa Turnep, Rooted Cabbage
Brassica caulorapa Turnep, Rooted Cabbage
Brassica italica White Cauliflower, Brocoli
Brassica ‘Early Green’ Brocoli
Brassica ‘Early Purple’ Brocoli
Brassica ‘Large Late Purple’ Brocoli
Brassica napus Cole, Rape
Brassica napus Common Colewort
Brassica napus Jerusalem Kale
Brassica napus Rape
Brassica Rapa Early Dutch Turnep
Brassica Rapa Early Green Turnep
Brassica Rapa Early Stone Turnep
Brassica Rapa Large Norfolk Field Turnep
Brassica Rapa Large Red Turnep
Brassica Rapa Large Tankard Turnep
Brassica Rapa White Round Turnep
Brassica Rapa Yellow Turnep
Brassica saubauda Anjou Savoy Cabbage
Brassica saubauda Green Savoy Cabbage
Brassica saubauda Milan Savoy, Savoy Cabbage
Brassica saubauda Yellow Savoy Cabbage
Brassica subellica Brown Curled Borecole
Brassica subellica Brussels Sprouts
Brassica subellica Green Curled Borecole
Browallia scoparia Browallia
Bupleurum rotundifolium Annual Hare's-Ear
Calendula Cape Marigold
Caltha palustris Double Pot Marigold
Calycanthus floridus Calycanthus
Campanula medium Blue Canterbury Bells
Campanula medium White Canterbury Bells
Campanula persicifolia Peach-leaved Bell-flower
Campanula pyrimidalis Pyrimidal Bell-Flower
Campanula Rapunculoides Nettle-leaved Bell-Flower
Campanula Rapunculus Rampion
Campanula speculum Venus's Looking Glass
Canna Cannacorus Scarlet Indian Shoot
Canna Cannacorus Yellow Indian Shoot
Cannabis sativa Hemp
Capsicum frutescens True Cayenne Pepper
Capsicum indicum Cherry Pepper, Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Large Globe Pepper,
Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Large Heart Pepper,
Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Long Drooping Pepper, Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Long Orange Pepper,
Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Long Small Upright Pepper, Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Long Yellow Pepper,
Capsicum
Capsicum indicum Red, Guinea Pepper
Cardamine pratensis Lady's Smock
Cardiospermum corindum Heart Pea
Carpinus betulus vulgaris Hornbeam
Carpinus ostrya Hop Hornbeam
Carum Carvi Carawary
Cathamus tinctorius Bastard Saffron
Ceanothus americanus New-Jersey Tea-Tree
Celosia cristata Branching Cockscomb
Celosia cristata Buff Cockscomb
Celosia cristata Giant Crimson Cockscomb
Celosia cristata Purple Cockscomb
Celosia cristata White Cockscomb
Celosia cristata Yellow Cockscomb
Celtis occidentalis Nettle Tree
Centaurea Cyanus Blue Cyanus
Centaurea Cyanus Purple Cyanus
Centaurea Cyanus Red Cyanus
Centaurea Cyanus Striped Cyanus
Centaurea Cyanus White Cyanus
Centaurea moschata Purple Sweet Sultan
Centaurea moschata Red Sweet Sultan
Centaurea moschata White Sweet Sultan
Centaurea moschata Yellow Sweet Sultan
Cephalanthus occidentalis Button Tree
Cercis canadensis Judas Tree
Cerinthe majus Great Purple Honey-wort
Cheiranthus annuus French Ten Week Stock
Cheiranthus annuus Prussian Ten Week Stock
Cheiranthus annuus Purple Ten Week Stock
Cheiranthus annuus Scarlet Ten Week Stock
Cheiranthus annuus White Ten Week Stock
Cheiranthus cheiri Bloody Wallflower
Cheiranthus cheiri Yellow Wallflower
Cheiranthus incanus Queen's Stock, Gilliflower
Cheiranthus incanus Twickenham Stock
Cheiranthus incanus albus White Stock, Gilliflower
Cheiranthus incanus coccineus Scarlet Brompton Stock, Gilliflower
Cheiranthus incanus glabrus
Cheiranthus maritimus Virginian Stock
Chelidonium minus Celedine
Chenepodium scoparia Belvidere, Summer
Chenopodium glaucum Oak-leaved Chenopodium
Chionanthus virginica Fringe Tree
Chrysanthemum coronarium Double White Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum coronarium Double White Quilled Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum coronarium Double Yellow Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum coronarium Double Yellow Quilled Chrysanthemum
Cichorium endiva Broad Batavian Endive
Cichorium endiva Green Curled Endive
Cichorium endiva White Curled Endive
Cochlearia officinalis Scurvy-grass
Coix Lacryma jobi Job's Tears
Colchicum autumnalis Colchicum
Colutea arborescens Bladder Senna
Colutea frutescens Scarlet Colutea
Convolvulus batatas Sweet Potatoes
Convolvulus hederaceous Ivy leaved Convovulus
Convolvulus lusitanicus Blue Con. Minor Convovulus
Convolvulus purpureus Blue Con. Major Convovulus
Convolvulus rubra Red Con. Major Convovulus
Convolvulus tricolor Striped Con. Major Convovulus
Coriandrum sativum Coriander
Crambe maritima Sea Kale, Sea Cabbage
Crataegus coccinea Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus oxyacantha English Hawthorn
Crepia rubra Purple Hawkweed
Crocus autumnalis Blue Autumnal Crocus
Crocus sativus officinalis True Cultivated Saffron
Crocus sativus vernus Blue Spring Crocus
Crocus sativus vernus Yellow Spring Crocus
Cucumis Anguria (in sorts) Water Melons
Cucumis colocyntha Coliquintida, Bitter Gourd
Cucumis Melo Black Rock Melon
Cucumis Melo Carbuncled Rock Melon
Cucumis Melo Early Cantaloupe Melon
Cucumis Melo Early Jerusalem Melon
Cucumis Melo Early Rocket Melon
Cucumis Melo Early Romana Melon
Cucumis Melo Golden Rock Melon
Cucumis Melo Green Fleshed Melon
Cucumis Melo Green Fleshed Nutmeg Melon
Cucumis Melo Japan Rock Melon
Cucumis Melo Large Mogul Melon
Cucumis Melo Musk Melon
Cucumis Melo minus Dwarf Melon
Cucumis Melo minus Jerusalem Pickle
Cucumis Melo minus Pomegranate Melon
Cucumis sativus Early Frame Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Early Prickley Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Green Cluster Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Green Roman Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Long Green Turkey Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Long Prickley Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Long White Turkey Cucumber
Cucumis sativus Short Prickley Cucumber
Cucurbita Melopepo
Squashes
Cucurbita Pepo Cashaw Pumpkin
Cucurbita Pepo Pumpkin
Cucurbita Pepo Thick Fleshed Italian Pumpkin
Cucurbita verrucosa Warted Gourds
Cupressus disticha Deciduous Cypress
Cupressus sempervirens Cypress
Cupressus thyoides White Ceda
Cyclamen autumnalis Autumnal Cyclamen
Cyclamen vernus Spring Cyclamen
Cynara cardunculus Cardoon
Cynoglossum linifolium Venus's Navel-Wort
Cytissus Laburnum Laburnum
Daphne Mezereum Mezereon
Datura Stramonium Double Purple Stramonium
Datura Stramonium Double White Stramonium
Datura tatula Thorn Apple
Daucus carota Early Horn Carrot
Daucus carota Long Orange Carrot
Delphinium ajacis Double Blue Rocket Larkspur
Delphinium ajacis Double Purple Larkspur
Delphinium ajacis Double Rose Larkspur
Delphinium ajacis Double Striped Blue Larkspur
Delphinium ajacis Double Striped White Larkspur
Delphinium ajacis Tall White Rocket Larkspur
Delphinium consolida Branched Larkspur
Delphinium elatum Bee Larkspur
Delphinium minus Dwarf Rocket Larkspur
Dianthus Caryophillus simplex Clove Pink
Dianthus Caryophillus simplex Manchester Pink
Dianthus Caryophillus simplex Pheasant-eyed Pink
Dianthus Caryophylus maximus Double Carnation
Dianthus chinensis Double China Pink
Dianthus imperialis Imperial Indian Pink
Dictamnus albus White Fraxinella
Dictamnus rubra Red Fraxinella
Digitalis alba White Foxglove
Digitalis ferruginia Iris-colured Fox-glove
Digitalis purpurea Purple Foxglove
Diospyros virginiana Persimmon, American
Dipsacus fullonum sativus Teasel
Dodecatheon Meadia Virginian Cowslip
Dracocephalon canariensis Balm of Gilead
Dracocephalon Moldavia Moldavian Balm
Echinops strigosus Globe Thistle
Ervum lens Lentils
Erythronium Dens Canis Dens Canis, Dog's Tooth
Euonymus europeus Spindle Tree
Euonymus sempervirens Evergreen Spindle Tree
Euphorbia lathyris Caper Spurge
Fagus Castanea Chesnut
Fagus ferruginea American Beech
Fagus pumila Chinquapin, Dwarf
Fagus sylvatica vulgaris Beech
Franklinia alatamaha Franklinia
Fraxinus americana Carolina Ash, Red Ash
Fraxinus excelsior English Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica Pennsylvannian Ash
Fritillaria imperialis Crown Imperial
Fritillaria persica Persian Fritillary
Fumaria Capnoides White Fumitory
Galanthus nivalis Double Spring Snowdrop
Galanthus nivalis Single Spring Snowdrop
Gaultheria procumbens Mountain Tea
Genista italica Lucca Broom
Geranium africanum Geranium
Gleditsia tricanthos Three Thorned Acacia
Gomphrena Amaranthoides Purple Globe Amaranthus
Gomphrena Amaranthoides Spiked Amaranthus
Gomphrena Amaranthoides Striped Amaranthus
Gomphrena Amaranthoides White Globe Amaranthus
Gossypium Xylon americanum Green Seeded Upland Cotton
Halesia tetraptera Snowdrop Tree
Hedysarum coronarium Red French Honeysuckle
Hedysarum coronarium White French Honeysuckle
Hedysarum onobrychis Saintfoin
Helianthus annuus Tall Double Sunflower
Helianthus indicus Dwarf Double Sunflower
Hesperis tristis Night Smelling Rocket
Hibiscus brasiliensis Okra
Hibiscus syriacus Althaea Frutex, Syrian
Hibiscus trionum Bladder Ketmia
Hieracium aurantiacum Orange Mouse-ear
Hippocrepis unisiliquosa Horse-Shoes
Hyacinthus orientalis Double Hyacinth
Hyssopus officinalis Hyssop
Iberis Candytuft
Iberis pyrimidalis Pyrimidal Candytuft
Iberis umbellata Normandy Candytuft
Iberis umbellata Purple Candytuft
Impatiens Yellow Balsam, Touch me
Impatiens Balsamina Balsam, Balsamine
Impatiens Balsamina Double Purple Stiped Balsam, Balsamine
Impatiens Balsamina Double Red Balsam, Balsamine
Impatiens Balsamina Double Red Striped Balsam, Balsamine
Impatiens Balsamina Double White Balsam, Balsamine
Impatiens Balsamina Immortal Eagle Flower
Ipomea coccinea Scarlet Ipomea
Ipomea Quamoclit Wing'd leaved Ipomoea
Iris persica Dwarf Persian Iris
Ixia chinensis Chinese Ixia
Juglans alba White Walnut
Juglans alba minima Pignut Hickory
Juglans alba odorata Balsalm Hickory
Juglans alba ovata Shell-barked Hickory
Juglans nigra Black Walnut
Juglans oblonga alba Butter Nut
Juniperus bermudiana Bermuda Cedar
Juniperus communis Common Juniper
Juniperus thurifera Spanish Juniper
Juniperus virginiana Red Cedar
Kalmia angustifolia American Laurel
Lactuca sativa Aleppo, Spotted Coss Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Brown Dutch Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Cabbage Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Capuchine Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Early Forcing Coss Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Egyptian Coss Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Grand Admiral Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Green Coss Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Hammersmith Hardy Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Honey Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Imperial Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Large Royal Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Mogul Lettuce
Lactuca sativa New Zealand Cabbage Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Prince's Cabbage Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Royal Cabbage Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Silicia Lettuce
Lactuca sativa Tennisball Lettuce
Lactuca sativa White Coss Lettuce
Lathyrus americanus Lord Anton's, Cape Horn
Lathyrus latifolius Everlasting Pea
Lathyrus odoratus Blue Sweet Pea
Lathyrus odoratus Painted Lady Sweet Pea
Lathyrus odoratus Purple Sweet Pea
Lathyrus odoratus Scarlet Sweet Pea
Lathyrus odoratus Sweet Pea
Lathyrus odoratus White Sweet Pea
Lathyrus tingitanus Tangier Pea
Laurus Benzoin Benjamin Tree
Laurus nobilis Sweet Bay
Laurus Sassafras Sassafras Tree
Lavatera arborea Tree Mallow
Lavatera trimestris Red Lavatera
Lavatera trimestris White Lavatera
Lavendula spica Lavender
Lepidium crispum Curled Cress
Lepidium latifolium Broad-leaved Cress
Ligustrum vulgare Privet
Lilium candicum Jacobaea Lily
Linum flavum Perennial Flax
Linum usitatissimum Flax
Liquidamber styraciflua Sweet Gum
Liriodendron Tulipifera Tulip Tree, Poplar
Lithospermum officinalis Gromwell
Lobelia cardinalis Scarlet Cardinal's Flower
Lobelia silphilitica Blue Cardinal's Flower
Lotus tetragonolobus Winged Pea
Lunaria biennis Honesty, Satin Flower
Lupinus hirsutus Large Blue Lupin
Lupinus luteus Yellow Lupin
Lupinus pilosus Rose Lupin
Lupinus varius Small Blue Lupin
Lychnis chalcedonica Scarlet Lychnis
Lychnis viscaria Catchfly
Magnolia acuminata Cucumber Tree
Magnolia glauca Swamp Magnolia
Magnolia grandiflora Laurel-leaved Magnolia
Malva crispa Curled Mallow
Malva orientalis Oriental Mallow
Malva peruviana Oriental Mallow
Martynia annus Martynia
Marubium vulgare Horehound
Matricaria Parthenium Feverfew
Medicago intertexta Hedgehogs
Medicago muricata Horns
Medicago sativa Lucern
Melia Azadarach Beed Tree
Melissa officinalis Balm
Mentha arvensis Corn Mint
Mentha piperita Pepper Mint
Mentha viridis Spear Mint
Mespilus canadensis Dwarf Red Medlar
Mespilus Pyracantha Pyracantha, Evergreen
Milium arundinaceum Guinea Corn
Milium effusum Millet
Mimosa humilis spinosa Sensitive Plant
Mirabilis Jalapa Gold Striped Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis Jalapa Purple Striped Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis Jalapa Red Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis Jalapa Red Striped Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis Jalapa White Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis Jalapa White Striped Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis Jalapa Yellow Marvel of Peru
Mirabilis longiflora Sweet Scented Marvel of Peru
Momordica Elaterium Squirting Cucumber
Monarda fistulosa Crimson Monarda
Morus alba White Chinese Mulberry
Morus nigra Black Mulberry
Morus rubra Red Virginian Mulberry
Myrtus angustifolium Narrow leaved Myrtle
Myrtus latifolium Broad leaved Myrtle
Narcissus jonquilla Double Jonquil
Narcissus majus Great Daffodil
Narcissus tazetta Polyanthus Narcissus
Nepeta Cataria Nep, Catmint
Nerium Oleander Rose Bay
Nicotiana angustifolia Virginia narrow leaf'd Tobacco
Nicotiana rustica Common Tobacco
Nicotiana tabacum Virginia Broad leaf'd Tobacco
Nigella damascena Love in a Mist
Nigella hispanica Spanish Fennel Flower
Nolana prostrata Nolana
Nyssa sylvatica Upland Tupelo Tree
Ocymum minus Bush Basil
Ocymum vulgaris Sweet Basil
Oenothera biennis Primrose Tree
Origanum heracleoticum Winter Sweet Marjorum
Origanum Marjorana Knotted Marjorum
Origanum onites Pot Marjorum
Ornithogalum pyramidale Star of Bethlehem
Papaver dubium Double Carnation Poppy
Papaver nigra Maw
Papaver rhoeas Double Dwarf, Corn Poppy
Papaver somniferum White Poppy
Passiflora caerulea Passion Flower
Pastinaca sativa Large Dutch Parsnep
Phalaris canariensis Canary
Phaseolus coccineus Scarlet Bean
Phaseolus purpureus Purple Flowering Bean
Phaseolus purpureus White Flowering Bean
Phaseolus vulgaris Battersea Dwarf Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Bishop's Black-eyed Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Black Speckled Dwarf Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Canterbury Dwarf Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Corn Running Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Cream colored Dwarf Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Dwarf Dutch Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Lima Running Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Negro Dwarf Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Purple Speckled Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Scarlet Runner Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris White Dutch Running Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris White Dwarf Beans
Phaseolus vulgaris Yellow Dwarf Beans
Phleum pratense Timothy-Grass
Phlox Purple Lychnidea
Phlox White Lychnidea
Physalis Alkekengi Alkekengi
Phytolacca decandra Poke
Pimpinella anisum Anise
Pinus Abies Norway Sprunce Fir
Pinus Abies alba White American Fir
Pinus Abies balsama Balm of Gilead Fir
Pinus Abies canadensis Hemlock Spruce Fir
Pinus Abies nigra Black American Fir
Pinus Abies picea Silver Fir
Pinus alopecuroides Fox-tail Pine
Pinus cedrus Cedar of Lebanon
Pinus inopa Jersey Pine
Pinus Larix Larch
Pinus pinaster Pinaster
Pinus pinea Stone Pine
Pinus resinosa White Pitch Pine
Pinus strobus New England Pine, White
Pinus sylvestris Scotch Pine
Pinus taeda Frankincense, Black Pitch
Pinus verginica Yellow Pine
Pisum sativum Blue Union Peas
Pisum sativum Crown, Rose Pea
Pisum sativum Crown, Rose Peas
Pisum sativum Dwarf Marrowfat Peas
Pisum sativum Dwarf Sugar Peas
Pisum sativum Early Charleton Peas
Pisum sativum Early Forcing Peas
Pisum sativum Early Frame Peas
Pisum sativum Early Golden Hotspur Peas
Pisum sativum Essex Reading Peas
Pisum sativum Field Peas
Pisum sativum Glory of England Peas
Pisum sativum Green Nonpareil Peas
Pisum sativum Green Rouncival Peas
Pisum sativum Large Marrowfat Peas
Pisum sativum Leadman's Dwarf Peas
Pisum sativum Nichol's Early Peas
Pisum sativum Spanish Dwarf Peas
Pisum sativum Spanish Morotto Peas
Pisum sativum Tall Crooked Sugar Peas
Pisum sativum White Rouncival Peas
Pisum sativum Whole and Split Peas
Pisum sativum Wrench's Hotspur Peas
Plantago media Plantain
Platanus occidentalis Western Plane
Poinciana pulcherrima Barbadoes Flower-Fence
Polemonium album White Greek Valerian
Polemonium coeruleum Blue Greek Valerian
Polyanthes tuberosa Double Tuberose
Polygonum Fagopyrum Buck Wheat
Polygonum orientale Persicaria
Poterium sanguisorba Garden Burnet
Primula Auricula Auricula
Primula elatior Polyanthus
Prinos verticullatus Black Alder, Winter-Berry
Prunus Lauro-cerasus Oriental Laurel
Prunus lusitanica Portugal Laurel
Quercus Suber Cork-Tree
Ranunculus Ficaria
Ranunculus asiaticus Double Persian
Ranunculus asiaticus Ranunculus
Raphanus sativus Black Spanish Radish
Raphanus sativus Early Frame Radish
Raphanus sativus Early Short-topped Radish
Raphanus sativus London Radish
Raphanus sativus Red Spanish Radish
Raphanus sativus Red Turnep Radish
Raphanus sativus Salmon Radish
Raphanus sativus White Short-topped Radish
Raphanus sativus White Spanish Radish
Raphanus sativus White Turnep Radish
Reseda Luteola Weld, Dyer's Weed
Reseda odorata Mignonette
Rheum raphonticum True Turkey Rhubarb
Rhododendron maximum Dwarf Rose Bay
Rhus Toxicodendron vernix Poison Sumach, Varnish
Rhus typhinum Virginian Sumach
Ricinus majus Palma Christi Major
Ricinus minus Palma Christi Minor
Robinia hispida Rose Acacia
Robinia pseudo acacia Virginia Acacia
Rumex Acetosa Garden Sorrel
Rumex scutatus French Sorrel
Ruta graveolens Rue
Salvia hispanica Spanish Sage
Salvia officinalis Sage
Salvia Sclarea Clary
Salvia violacea Purple Clary
Sanguisorba officinalis Field Burnet
Saponaria officinalis plena Double Soapwort
Satureja hortensis Summer Savory
Satureja montana Winter Savory
Scabiosa alba White Sweet Scabious
Scabiosa atropurpurea Purple Sweet Scabious
Scandix cerefollum Chervil
Scorpiurus vermiculata Caterpillars
Secale cereale hybernum Winter Rye
Secale cereale vernum Spring Rye
Senecio Jacobea Double Purple Jacobea
Senecio Jacobea Double White Jacobea
Silene armeris Red Lobel's Catchfly
Silene armeris White Lobel's Catchfly
Silene quinqus vulnera Dwarf Lychnis
Sinapis alba White Mustard
Sinapis nigra Brown Mustard
Sium Skirret
Smyrnium olusatrum Alisander, Alexander
Solanum Lycopersicum Love Apple
Solanum Lycopersicum Tomatoes, Love Apples
Solanum Melongena Purple Egg Plant
Solanum Melongena White Egg Plant
Solanum pseudo capsicum Jerusalem Cherry
Solanum tuberosum Potatoes
Soldanella alpina Soldanella
Solidago canadensis Golden Rod
Spartium junceum Spanish Broom
Spartium multiflorum White Portugal Broom
Spartium scoparium Common Broon
Spinacia oleracea Berry-headed Spinach
Spinacia oleracea Bordeaux Spinach
Spinacia oleracea Prickly Spinach
Spinacia oleracea Red Leaf'd Spinach
Spinacia oleracea Spinach
Spinacia oleracea Strawberry Spinach
Spirea ulmaria Meadow Sweet
Staphylea trifoliata Bladder Nut
Syringa alba White Lilac
Syringa violacea Purple Lilac
Tagetes erecta Double Lemon African Marigold
Tagetes erecta Double Lemon Quilled Marigold
Tagetes erecta Double Orange African Marigold
Tagetes erecta Double Orange Quilled Marigold
Tagetes petula Double French Marigold
Tagetes petula Sweet Scented Marigold
Tanacetum vulgare Tansey
Thuja occidentalis American Arbor Vita, Tree
Thymus serpyllum Lemon Thyme
Thymus vulgaris Thyme
Tilia americana Linden, Lime
Tradescantia virginica Virginian Spiderwort
Tragopogon purpureum Salsafy
Triconanthus Serpent Cucumber
Trifolium purpureum Red Clover
Trifolium repens White Dutch Clover
Trigonella Foenumgraecum Fenugreek
Triticum Summer Wheat
Triticum hybernum Winter Wheat, Lamas
Tropaolum majus Large Nasturtium
Tropaolum majus Small Indian Cress,
Tropaolum minus Large Nasturtium Nasturtium
Tropaolum minus Small Nasturtium
Tsuga chinensis Chinese Arbor Vite, Tree of
Tulipa gesneriana Tulip
Ulex europaeus Furze, Whins
Urica pilulifera Roman Nettle
Vaccinium hispidulum Cranberry
Valeriana locusta olitoria Corn Salad
Valeriana rubra Red Valerian
Verbascum Blattaria Moth Mullein
Veronica virginiana Veronica, Speedwell
Vicia Faba Beans
Vicia Faba Broad Spanish Beans
Vicia Faba Dwarf Beans
Vicia Faba Early Beans
Vicia Faba Early Hotspur Beans
Vicia Faba Early Lisbon Beans
Vicia Faba Green Genoa Beans
Vicia Faba Green Nonpareil Beans
Vicia Faba Horse Beans
Vicia Faba Large Token Beans
Vicia Faba Large Windsor Beans
Vicia Faba Mumford Beans
Vicia Faba Sandwich Beans
Vicia Faba Turkey Longpod Beans
Vicia Faba White Blossom Beans
Vicia sativa Common Vetch, Tare
Viola tricolor Heart's Ease
Vitis Burgundy Vines
Vitis Cape of Good Hope Vines
Vitis Lisbon Vines
Vitis Muscat of Alexandria Vines
Vitis vinifera Vines
Xeranthernum annuus Purple Xeranthernum
Xeranthernum annuus White Xeranthernum
Zanthosilum fraxinifolium Ash-leav'd Tooth-ache
Zea Mays Indian Corn
Zea Mays minus Chicken Corn
Zinnia multiflora Red Zinnia
Zinnia pauciflora Yellow Zinnia

1764 Plants in 18C Colonial American Gardens - Virginian John Randolph (727-1784) - Water Cress

A Treatise on Gardening Written by a native of this State (Virginia)
Author was John Randolph (1727-1784)
Written in Williamsburg, Virginia about 1765
Published by T. Nicolson, Richmond, Virginia. 1793
The only known copy of this booklet is found in the Special Collections of the Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.

Cresses, Water

Cresses, Water,...grow in standing water, and may be propagated by throwing the seed in a standing water, and not cutting it the first year. From its agreeable warm taste, it is much esteemed in England, and is very good eating in Scorbutic cases, and is a great Dieuretic..

1709 Plants & Botany John Lawson's Descriptions of the Carolina's Vegetables, Fruits, & Nuts

John Lawson (1674-1711) sailed from London to the Carolinas in 1700, when he was 26 years old, after a friend told him that the Carolinas were the best part of America to visit. He set sail almost immediately arriving 1st in New York, then traveling on to the port of Charles Town, modern Charleston, in the summer of 1700. From there he began a 57 day trek that covered nearly 600 miles. They journeyed up the Santee River in a canoe large enough to hold 6 Englishmen, 4 Indians, & their equipment. They traveled up the Yadkin River valley to present-day North Carolina. All along the way, John Lawson recorded his observations in what became his 1709 book, A New Voyage to Carolina.

When he returned to London to publish his book, Lawson reportedly met James Petiver—an apothecary known for his vast collection of natural history specimens. Petiver asked Lawson to send him specimens of dried plants, after he returned to the New World. Petiver also supplied Lawson with apothecary & botanical materials. Lawson asked Petiver for varieties of grape vines & stone fruits to take back to North Carolina, as well as information on making wine & distilling spirits. 

Lawson sailed back to North Carolina in the spring of 1710, & began fulfilling his promise to Petiver. He sent packets of dried plants to him in 1710 & 1711. The plants usually reached London some 3 months after being shipped out of Norfolk, Virginia. These dried plants eventually found their way to the Natural History Museum (British Museum), where they can be viewed today. Lawson began collecting plants even as he led colonists south toward New Bern. On May 10, 1710, he collected a huckleberry & wrote this note: “The largest huckleberry... green berries on the stem... we’ve gotten in Norfolk County in Virginia.” 

The winter of 1711, Lawson left New Bern during the last week of January. On January 29 he recorded collecting a “spontaneous of Carolina growing on a Fork of Neus River & in other places... had from flowers, like drops of blood a few... sweet herb.” Two days later, he stopped at William Hancock’s “on the south side on Neus Rv.” There, he collected specimens of American olive, which he described as “a pritty tree growing on a sandy point by the water side.” 

He founded 2 settlements in North Carolina: Bath & New Bern, both at the coast. In September 1711, Lawson & his associate Christopher von Graffenried were captured by Tuscarora Indians while ascending the Neuse River. The Tuscarora released von Graffenried, but they subjected Lawson to ritual torture, typical of warriors, & killed him. Shortly thereafter, tensions between the Tuscarora & their allies & settlers erupted into a bloody conflict known as the Tuscarora War, lasting until the defeat of the Tuscarora in 1715. The colonists gathered their own American Indian allies, especially from among the Yamasee & Cherokee, traditional enemies & competitors of the Tuscarora.

The plants Lawson gathered during this trip were sent to England from Virginia in July. Lawson’s last letter to Petiver was written in July 1711 from Virginia. Petiver got the letter in London on October 20, 1711, almost exactly a month after Lawson’s death.

A New Voyage to Carolina; Containing the Exact Description and Natural History of That Country: Together with the Present State Thereof. And A Journal of a Thousand Miles, Travel'd Thro' Several Nations of Indians. Giving a Particular Account of Their Customs, Manners, &c. by John Lawson 1709

Of the Corn of Carolina.

        Wheat.
THE Wheat of this Place is very good, seldom yielding less than thirty fold, provided the Land is good where it is sown; Not but that there has been Sixty-six Increase for one measure sown in Piny-Land, which we account the meanest Sort. And I have been inform'd, by People of Credit, that Wheat which was planted in a very rich Piece of Land, brought a hundred and odd Pecks, for one. If our Planters, when they found such great Increase, would be so curious as to make nice Observations of the Soil, and other remarkable. Accidents, they would soon be acquainted with the Nature of the Earth and Climate, and be better qualified to manage their Agriculture to more Certainty, and greater Anvantage; whereby they might arrive to the Crops and Harvests of Babylon, and those other fruitful Countries so much talk'd of. For I must confess, I never saw one Acre of Land manag'd as it ought to be in Carolina, since I knew it; and were they as negligent in their Husbandry in Europe, as they are in Carolina, their Land would produce nothing but Weeds and Straw.

        Rye.
 They have try'd Rye, and it thrives very well; but having such Plenty of Maiz, they do not regard it, because it makes black Bread, unless very curiously handled.

        Barley.
 Barley has been sowed in small quantities, and does better than can be expected; because that Grain requires the Ground to be very well work'd with repeated Ploughings, which our general Way of breaking the Earth with Hoes, can, by no means, perform, tho' in several Places we have a light, rich, deep, black Mould, which is the particular Soil in which Barley best thrives.

        Oats.
The naked Oats thrive extraordinary well; and the other would prove a very bold Grain; but the Plenty of other Grains makes them not much coveted.

        Maiz.
 The Indian Corn, or Maiz, proves the most useful Grain in the World; and had it not been for the Fruitfulness of this Species, it would have proved very difficult to have settled some of the Plantations in America. It is very nourishing, whether in Bread, sodden, or otherwise; And those poor Christian Servants in Virginia, Maryland, and the other northerly Plantations, that have been forced to live wholly upon it, do manifestly prove, that it is the most nourishing Grain, for a Man to subsist on, without any other Victuals. And this Assertion is made good by the Negro-Slaves, who, in many Places, eat nothing but this Indian Corn and Salt. Pigs and Poultry fed with this Grain, eat the sweetest of all others. It refuses no Grounds, unless the barren Sands, and when planted in good Ground, will repay the Planter seven or eight hundred fold; besides the Stalks bruis'd and boil'd, make very pleasant Beer, being sweet like the Sugar-Cane.

        Rice.
There are several sorts of Rice, some bearded, others not, besides the red and white; But the white Rice is the best. Yet there is a sort of persum'd Rice in the East-Indies, which gives a curious Flavour, in the Dressing. And with this sort America is not yet acquainted; neither can I learn, that any of it has been brought over to Europe; the Rice of Carolina being esteem'd the best that comes to that Quarter of the World. It is of great Increase, yielding from eight hundred to a thousand-fold, and thrives best in wild Land, that has never been broken up before.

        Buck-Wheat.        Guinea-Wheat.
Buck-Wheat is of great Increase in Carolina; but we make no other use of it, than instead of Maiz, to feed Hogs and Poultry : And Guinea Corn, which thrives well here, serves for the same use.

        Pulse. Busshel-Bean.
Of the Pulse-kind, we have many sorts. The first is the Bushel-Bean, which is a spontaneous Product. They are so called, because they bring a Bushel of Beans for one that is planted. They are set in the Spring, round Arbours, or at the Feet of Poles, up which they will climb, and cover the Wattling, making a very pretty Shade to fit under. They continue flowering, budding, and ripening all the Summer long, till the Frost approaches, when they forbear their Fruit, and die. The Stalks they grow on, come to the Thickness of a Man's Thumb; and the Bean is white and mottled, with a purple Figure on each side it, like an Ear. They are very flat, and are eaten as the Windsor-Bean is, being an extraordinary well-relish'd Pulse, either by themselves, or with Meat.

        Indian Rouncevals.

        Pease and Beans.
We have the Indian Rounceval, or Miraculous Pease, so call'd from their long Pods, and great Increase. These are latter Pease, and require a pretty long Summer to ripen in. They are very good; and so are the Bonavis, Calavancies, Nanticokes, and abundance of other Pulse, too tedious here to name, which we found the Indians possess'd of, when first we settled in America; some of which sorts afford us two Crops in one Year; as the Bonavis and Calavancies, besides several others of that kind.

        Eng. Bean.
Now I am launch'd into a Discourse of the Pulse, I must acquaint you, that the European Bean planted here, will, in time, degenerate into a dwarfish sort, if not prevented by a yearly Supply of foreign Seed, and an extravagant rich Soil; yet these Pigmy-Beans are the sweetest of that kind I ever met withal.

        Pease.
 As for all the sorts of English Pease that we have yet made tryal of, they thrive very well in Carolina. Particularly, the white and gray Rouncival, the common Field-Pease, and Sickle-Pease yield very well, and are of a good Relish. As for the other sorts, I have not seen any made tryal of as yet, but question not their coming to great Perfection with us.

        Kidney-Bean.
The Kidney-Beans were here before the English came, being very plentiful in the Indian Corn-Fields.

        Roots.
The Garden-Roots that thrive well in Carolina, are Carrots, Leeks, Parsnips, Turneps, Potatoes, of several delicate sorts, Ground Artichokes, Radishes, Horse-Radish, Beet, both sorts, Onions, Shallot, Garlick, Cives, and the Wild-Onions.

        Sallads.
The Sallads are the Lettice, Curl'd, Red, Cabbage, and Savoy. The Spinage round and prickly, Fennel, sweet and the common Sort, Samphire in the Marshes excellent, so is the Dock or Wild-Rhubarb, Rocket, Sorrel, French and English, Cresses of several Sorts, Purslain wild, and that of a larger Size which grows in the Gardens; for this Plant is never met withal in the Indian Plantations, and is, therefore, suppos'd to proceed from Cow-Dung, which Beast they keep not. Parsley two Sorts; Asparagus thrives to a Miracle, without hot Beds or dunging the Land, White-Cabbage from European or New-England Seed, for the People are negligent and unskilful, and don't take care to provide Seed of their own. The Colly-Flower we have not yet had an Opportunity to make Tryal of, nor has the Artichoke ever appear'd amongst us, that I can learn. Coleworts plain and curl'd, Savoys; besides the Water-Melons of several Sorts, very good; which should have gone amongst the Fruits. Of Musk-Melons we have very large and good, and several Sorts, as the Golden, Green, Guinea, and Orange. Cucumbers long, short, and prickly, all these from the Natural Ground, and great Increase, without any Helps of Dung or Reflection. Pompions yellow and very large, Burmillions, Cashaws, an excellent Fruit boil'd; Squashes, Simnals, Horns, and Gourds; besides many other Species, of less Value, too tedious to name.

Fruits & Nuts
Exotick Fruits we have, that thrive well in Carolina; and what others, it may reasonably be suppos'd, would do there, were they brought thither and planted. In pursuance of which, I will set down a Catalogue of what Fruits we have; I mean Species: For should I pretend to give a regular Name to every one; it's neither possible for me to do it, nor for any one to understand it, when done; if we consider, that the chiefest part of our Fruit came from the Kernel, and some others from the Succours, or Sprouts of the Tree. First, we will begin with Apples; which are the

Golden Russet.
Pearmain Winter. Summer.
Harvey-Apple, I cannot tell, whether the same as in England.
Winter Queening.
Leather Coat.
Juniting.
Codlin.
Redstreak.
Long-stalk.
Lady-Finger.
        The Golden Russet thrives well.

        The Pearmains, of both sorts, are apt to speck, and rot on the Trees; and the Trees are damaged and cut off by the Worm, which breeds in the Forks, and other parts thereof; and often makes a Circumposition, by destroying the Bark round the Branches, till it dies.

        Harvey-Apple; that which we call so, is esteem'd very good to make Cider of.

        Winter Queening is a durable Apple, and makes good Cider.

        Leather-Coat; both Apple and Tree stand well.

        The Juniting is early ripe, and soon gone, in these warm Countries.

        Codlin; no better, and fairer Fruit in the World; yet the Tree suffers the same Distemper, as the Pearmains, or rather worse; the Trees always dying before they come to their Growth.

        The Redstreak thrives very well.

        Long-stalk is a large Apple, with a long Stalk, and makes good Summer Cider.

        We beat the first of our Codlin Cider, against reaping our Wheat, which is from the tenth of June, to the five and twentieth.

        Lady-Finger, the long Apple, the same as in England, and full as good. We have innumerable sorts; some call'd Rope-Apples which are small Apples, hanging like Ropes of Onions; Flattings, Grigsons, Cheese-Apples, and a great number of Names, given according to every ones Discretion.

        Pears.
        The Warden-Pear here proves a good eating Pear; and is not so long ripening as in England.

        Katharine excellent.

        Sugar-pear.
        And several others without Name, The Bergamot we have not, nor either of the Bonne Chrestiennes, though I hear, they are all three in Virginia. Those sorts of Pears which we have, are as well relisht, as ever I eat any where; but that Fruit is of very short Continuance with us, for they are gone almost as soon as ripe.

        Quinces.
        I am not a Judge of the different sorts of Quinces, which they call Brunswick, Portugal, and Barbary; But as to the Fruit, in general, I believe no Place has fairer and better relisht. They are very pleasant eaten raw. Of this Fruit, they make a Wine, or Liquor, which they call Quince-Drink, and which I approve of beyond any Drink which that Country affords, though a great deal of Cider and some Perry is there made. The Quince-Drink most commonly purges those that first drink it, and cleanses the Body very well. The Argument of the Physicians, that they bind People, is hereby contradicted, unless we allow the Quinces to differ in the two Countries. The least Slip of this Tree stuck in the Ground, comes to bear in three years.

        Peaches.
 All Peaches, with us, are standing; neither have we any Wall-Fruit in Carolina; for we have Heat enough, and therefore do not require it. We have a great many sorts of this Fruit, which all thrive to Admiration, Peach-Trees coming to Perfection (with us) as easily as the Weeds. A Peach falling on the Ground, brings a Peach-Tree that shall bear in three years, or sometimes sooner. Eating Peaches in our Orchards makes them come up so thick from the Kernel, that we are forced to take a great deal of Care to weed them out; otherwise they make our Land a Wilderness of Peach-Trees.
They generally bear so full, that they break great part of their Limbs down. We have likewise very fair Nectarines, especially the red, that clings to the Stone, the other yellow Fruit, that leaves the Stone; of the last, I have a Tree, that, most Years, brings me fifteen or twenty Bushels. I see no Foreign Fruit like this, for thriving in all sorts of Land, and bearing its Fruit to Admiration. I want to be satisfy'd about one sort of this Fruit, which the Indians claim as their own, and affirm, they had it growing amongst them, before any Europeans came to America. The Fruit I will describe, as exactly as I can. The Tree grows very large, most commonly as big as a handsome Apple-tree; the Flowers are of a reddish, murrey Colour; the Fruit is rather more downy, than the yellow Peach, and commonly very large and soft, being very full of Juice. They part freely from the Stone, and the Stone is much thicker than all the other Peach Stones we have, which seems to me, that it is a Spontaneous Fruit of America; yet in those Parts of America that we inhabit, I never could hear that any Peach-Trees were ever found growing in the Woods; neither have the foreign Indians, that live remote from the English, any other sort. And those living amongst us have a hundred of this sort for one other; they are a hardy Fruit, and are seldom damaged by the North-East Blasts, as others are. Of this sort we make Vinegar; wherefore we call them Vinegar-Peaches, and sometimes Indian-Peaches.

        Apricock.
This Tree grows to a vast Bigness, exceeding most Apple-Trees. They bear well, tho' sometimes an early Spring comes on in February, and perhaps, when the Tree is fully blown the Cloudy North-East-Winds which attend the end of, that Month, or the beginning of March, destroy most of the Fruit. The biggest Apricock-Tree I ever saw, as they told me, was grafted on a Peach-Stock, in the Ground. I know of no other sort with us, than the Common. We generally raise this Fruit from the Stone, which never fails to bring the same Fruit. Likewise our Peach-Stones effect the same, without so much as once missing, to produce the same sort that the Stone came from.

 Damson, Damazeen, and a large round black Plum are all I have met withal in Carolina. They thrive well enough; the last to Admiration, and becomes a very large Tree, if in stiff Ground; otherwise they will not do well.

        Figs.
 Of Figs we have two sorts; One is the low Bush-Fig, which bears a large Fruit. If the Winter happens to have much Frost, the tops thereof die, and in the Spring sprout again, and bear two or three good Crops.
The Tree-Fig is a lesser Fig, though very sweet. The Tree grows to a large Body and Shade, and generally brings a good Burden; especially, if in light Land. This Tree thrives no where better, than on the Sand-Banks by the Sea.

        Cherries.
We have the common red and black Cherry, which bear well. I never saw any grafted in this Country, the common excepted, which was grafted on an Indian Plum-stock, and bore well. This is a good way, because our common Cherry-Trees are very apt to put Scions all round the Tree, for a great Distance, which must needs be prejudicial to the Tree and Fruit. Not only our Cherries are apt to do so, but our Apples and most other Fruit-Trees, which may chiefly be imputed to the Negligence and Unskilfulness of the Gardener. Our Cherries are ripe a Month sooner than in Virginia.

        Goosberry.
Goosberries I have seen of the smaller sort, but find they do not do so well as in England, and to the Northward. Want of Dressing may be some Reason for this.

        Currants.
Currants, White, Red, and Black, thrive here, as well as any where.

        Rasps.
Rasberries, the red and white, I never saw any Trial made of. But there is no doubt of their thriving to Admiration, since those of the Country do so well.

        Mulberry.
The Mulberries are spontaneous. We have no others, than what I have already mentioned in the Class of Natural Fruits of Carolina.

        Barberry.
Barberry red, with Stones, and without Stones, grow here.

        Strawberry.
 Strawberries, not Foreign, but those of the Country, grow here in great Plenty. Last April I planted a Bed of two hunded Foot in Length, which bore the same Year.

        Medlar.
 Medlars we have none.

        Walnut.
All sorts of Walnuts from England, France, and Maderas, thrive well from the Nut.

        Filbert.
No Filberts, but Hazle-Nuts; the Filbert-Nut planted, becomes a good Hazle-Nut, and no better.

        Vines.
As for that noble Vegetable the Vine, without doubt, it may (in this Country) be improved, and brought to the fame Perfection, as it is, at this Day, in the fame Latitude in Europe, since the chiefest part of this Country is a deep, rich, black Mould, which is up towards the Freshes and Heads of our Rivers, being very rich and mix'd with Flint, Pebbles, and other Stones. And this sort of Soil is approv'd of (by all knowing Gardeners and Vigneroons) as a proper Earth, in which the Grape chiefly delights; and what seems to give a farther Confirmation hereof, is, that the largest Vines, that were every discover'd to grow wild, are found in those Parts, oftentimes in such Plenty, and are so interwoven with one another, that 'tis impossible to pass through them. Moreover, in these Freshes, towards the Hills, the Vines are above five times bigger than those generally with us, who are seated in the Front-parts of this Country, adjoining to the Salts. Of the wild Vines, which are most of them great Bearers, some Wine has been made, which I drank of. It was very strong and well relisht; but what detains them all from offering at great quantities, they add, that this Grape has a large Stone, and a thick Skin, and consequently yields but a small Quantity of Wine. Some Essays of this Nature have been made by that Honourable Knight, Sir Nathanael Johnson, in South Carolina, who, as I am inform'd, has rejected all Exotick Vines, and makes his Wine from the natural black Grape of Carolina, by grafting it upon its own Stock. What Improvement this may arrive to, I cannot tell; but in other Species, I own Grafting and Imbudding yields speedy Fruit, tho' I never found that it made them better.

 New planted Colonies are generally attended with a Force and Necessity of Planting the known and approved Staple and Product of the Country, as well as all the Provisions their Families spend. Therefore we can entertain but small hopes of the Improvement of the Vine, till some skilful in dressing Vines shall appear amongst us, and go about it, with a Resolution, that Ordering the Vineyard shall be one half of their Employment. If this be begun and carried on, with that Assiduity and Resolution which it requires, then we may reasonably hope to see this a Wine-Country; for then, when it becomes a general Undertaking, every one will be capable to add something to the common Stock, of that which he has gain'd by his own Experience. This way would soon make the Burden light, and a great many short and exacter Curiosities, and real Truths would be found out in a short time. The trimming of Vines, as they do in France, that is, to a Stump, must either here be not follow'd, or we are not sensible of the exact time, when they ought to be thus pruned; for Experience has taught us, that the European Grape, suffer'd to run and expand itself at large, has been found to bear as well in America, as it does in Europe; when, at the same time, the same sort of Vine trimm'd to a Stump, as before spoken of, has born a poor Crop for one Year or two; and by its spilling, after cutting, emaciated, and in three or four Years, died. This Experiment, I believe, has never fail'd; for I have trimm'd the natural Vine the French way, which has been attended, at last, with the same Fate. Wherefore, it seems most expedient, to leave the Vines more Branches here, than in Europe, or let them run up Trees, as some do, in Lombardy, upon Elms. The Mulberries and Chinkapin are tough, and trimm'd to what you please, therefore fit Supporters of the Vines. Gelding and plucking away the Leaves, to hasten the ripening of this Fruit, may not be unnecessary, yet we see the natural wild Grape generally ripens in the Shade. Nature in this, and many others, may prove a sure Guide. The Twisting of the Stems to make the Grapes ripe together, loses no Juice, and may be beneficial, if done in Season. A very ingenious French Gentleman, and another from Switzerland, with whom I frequently converse, exclaim against that strict cutting of Vines, the generally approved Method of France and Germany, and say, that they were both out in their Judgment, till of late, Experience has taught them otherwise. Moreover, the French in North Carolina assure me, that if we should trim our Apple and other Fruit-Trees, as they do in Europe, we should spoil them. As for Apples and Plums, I have found by Experience, what they affirm to be true. The French, from the Mannakin Town on the Freshes of James River in Virginia, had, for the most part, removed themselves to Carolina, to live there, before I came away; and the rest were following, as their Minister, (Monsieur Philip de Rixbourg) told me, who was at Bath-Town, when I was taking my leave of my Friends. He assur'd me, that their Intent was to propagate Vines, as far as their present Circumstances would permit; provided they could get any Slips of Vines, that would do. At the same time, I had gotten some Grape-Seed, which was of the Jesuits white Grape from Madera. The Seed came up very plentifully, and, I hope, will not degenerate, which if it happens not to do, the Seed may prove the best way to raise a Vineyard, as certainly it is most easy for Transportation. Yet I reckon we should have our Seed from a Country, where the Grape arrives to the utmost Perfection of Ripeness. 

Gardening During Reconstruction

Thomas P. Anshutz (1851-1912) Gardening 1879.

Garden to Table - Slave Chefs Helped Shape American Cuisine

Enslaved men & women have had a significant impact on the nation's culinary traditions from the colonial period until today. They were forced to prepare food, usually raised or grown in the owners' fields, nearby waterways, & gardens for the owners & their guests.  

In most cases, fellow slaves had planted & tended the gardens & fields where the plants grew, cared for the animals destined for slaughter, & caught the fish in local rivers & nearby salt-waters. For their own food, many slaves received a weekly or monthly ration of vegetables, meat, & sometimes fish from their owners.  To add to this allocation, some owners allowed their slaves to grow a small garden near their slave quarters.

Archaeological discoveries, notes on "receipts" (or recipes), & plantation journals & records offer hints into the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation. These men & women often lived & worked inside the sweltering conditions of Southern plantation house kitchens; & when the heat was unbearable, they slept on the ground very near the kitchen.  Fellow plantation slaves probably built the kitchen as well. 

These cooks drew upon skills & seeds brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes such as oyster stew, gumbo, jambalaya, & fried fish.  From the gardens, they added African accents with hot peppers, peanuts, okra, & greens. Some methods of cooking that are well-known in the U.S. today were reported in West Africa before 1500, including deep frying fish & barbecuing meats.

How Enslaved Chefs Helped Shape American Cuisine

By Kelley Fanto Deetz, Zócalo Public Square

Smithsonianmag.com  July 20, 2018

This...is the story of people like Chef Hercules, George Washington's chef; & Emmanuel Jones, who used his skills to transition out of enslavement into a successful career cooking in the food industry, evading the oppressive trappings of sharecropping. It is also the story of countless unnamed cooks across the South, the details of their existences now lost...

It’s not easy uncovering the histories of enslaved cooks, who left few records of their own & whose stories often appear in the historical record as asides—incidental details sprinkled through the stories of the people who held them in bondage. In my recent study of enslaved cooks, I relied on archaeological evidence & material culture—the rooms where they once lived, the heavy cast iron pots they lugged around, the gardens they planted—& documents such as slaveholders’ letters, cookbooks, & plantation records to learn about their experiences. These remnants, scant though they are, make it clear that enslaved cooks were central players in the birth of our nation’s cultural heritage.

In the early 17th century, tobacco farming began to spread throughout Virginia’s Tidewater region. Before long, plantations were founded by colonists, such as Shirley Plantation, constructed circa 1613; Berkeley Hundred, & Flowerdew Hundred, whose 1,000 acres extended along the James River. These large homes marked a moment of transition, when English cultural norms took hold on the Virginia landscape.

Traditions surrounding dining & maintaining a grand household were part of those norms, & the white gentry began seeking domestic help. At first, the cooks they hired on plantations were indentured servants, workers who toiled without pay for a contractually agreed-upon period of time before eventually earning their freedom. But by the late 17th century, plantation homes throughout Virginia had turned to enslaved laborers, captured from central & western Africa, to grow crops, build structures & generally remain at the beck & call of white families. Before long these enslaved cooks took the roles that had once been occupied by white indentured servants.

Black cooks were bound to the fire, 24 hours a day. They lived in the kitchen, sleeping upstairs above the hearth during the winters, & outside come summertime. Up every day before dawn, they baked bread for the mornings, cooked soups for the afternoons, & created divine feasts for the evenings. They roasted meats, made jellies, cooked puddings, & crafted desserts, preparing several meals a day for the white family. They also had to feed every free person who passed through the plantation. If a traveler showed up, day or night, bells would ring for the enslaved cook to prepare food...

Enslaved cooks were always under the direct gaze of white Virginians. Private moments were rare, as was rest. But cooks wielded great power: As part of the “front stage” of plantation culture, they carried the reputations of their enslavers—& of Virginia—on their shoulders. Guests wrote gushing missives about the meals in they ate while visiting these homes...

These cooks knew their craft. Hercules, who cooked for George Washington, & James Hemings, an enslaved cook at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, were both formally trained, albeit in different styles. Hercules was taught by the well-known New York tavern keeper & culinary giant Samuel Frances, who mentored him in Philadelphia; Hemings traveled with Jefferson to Paris, where he learned French-style cooking. Hercules & Hemings were the nation’s first celebrity chefs, famous for their talents & skills.

Folklore, archaeological evidence, & a rich oral tradition reveal that other cooks, their names now lost, also weaved their talents into the fabric of our culinary heritage, creating & normalizing the mixture of European, African, & Native American cuisines that became the staples of Southern food. Enslaved cooks brought this cuisine its unique flavors, adding ingredients such as hot peppers, peanuts, okra, & greens. They created favorites like gumbo, an adaptation of a traditional West African stew; & jambalaya, a cousin of Jolof rice, a spicy, heavily seasoned rice dish with vegetables & meat. These dishes traveled with captured West Africans on slave ships, & into the kitchens of Virginia’s elite.

You also see evidence of this multi-cultural transformation in so-called “receipt books,” handwritten cookbooks from the 18th & 19th centuries. These were compiled by slaveholding women, whose responsibilities sat firmly in the domestic sphere, & are now housed in historical societies throughout the country. Early receipt books are dominated by European dishes: puddings, pies, & roasted meats. But by the 1800s, African dishes began appearing in these books. Offerings such as pepper pot, okra stew, gumbo, & jambalaya became staples on American dining tables. Southern food—enslaved cooks’ food—had been written into the American cultural profile.

For the women who wrote & preserved the receipt books, these recipes, the products of African foodways, were something worthy of remembering, re-creating, & establishing as Americana. So why can’t we, as Americans today, look at this history for what it was? Colonial & antebellum elite Southerners understood fully that enslaved people cooked their food. During the 19th century, there were moments of widespread fear that these cooks would poison them, & we know from court records & other documents that on at least a few occasions enslaved cooks did slip poisons like hemlock into their masters’ food.

But the country began recalibrating its memories of black cooking even before the Civil War...While newly free African Americans fled the plantations to find work as housekeepers, butlers, cooks, drivers, Pullman porters & waiters—the only jobs they could get...to be an American is to live in a place where contradictions are the very fibers that bind a complicated heritage divided sharply by race.

1700 John Lawson's (1674-1711) Impression of Charleston, South Carolina

English plant hunter and naturalist John Lawson (1674-1711) wrote in 1700-1709, "The Town has very regular and fair Streets, in which are good Buildings of Brick and Wood...This Colony was at first planted by a genteel Sort of People that were well acquainted with Trade, and had either Money or Parts to make good Use of the Advantages that offer’d, as most of them have done by raising themselves to great Estates...and...considerable Fortunes...They have a considerable Trade both to Europe and the West Indies, whereby they become rich and are supply’d with all Things necessary for Trade and genteel Living."

John Lawson was an explorer, plant collector, surveyor, and author of A New Voyage to Carolina (London, 1709). A London botanist and apothecary, James Petiver (1658-1718), was seeking someone to collect American plant specimens for him, and Lawson volunteered to do this without charge. Thirty of the South Carolina plant specimens that he sent still survive in the Sloane collection at the British Museum. Hans Sloane (1660-1753) was a friend of Petiver. Sloane amassed a huge collection of plants, animals, and objects which became the founding core of the British Museum and Natural History Museum in London.

 John Lawson describes his first impressions of Charles Town and the colony of Carolina,  where he would spend eight years studying the plants, animals, and peoples of the region.

After a Fortnight’s Stay here [New York City], we put out from Sandyhook, and in 14 Days after arriv’d at Charles-Town, the Metropolis of South Carolina, which is situated in 32 [degrees] 45 [minutes] North Latitude, and admits of large Ships to come over their Bar up to the Town, where is a very commodious Harbour, about 5 Miles distant from the Inlet, and stands on a Point very convenient for Trade, being seated between two pleasant and navigable Rivers.

 The Town has very regular and fair Streets, in which are good Buildings of Brick and Wood, and since my coming thence, has had great Additions of beautiful, large Brick-buildings, besides a strong Fort, and regular Fortifications made to defend the Town. The Inhabitants, by their wise Management and Industry, have much improv’d the Country [colony], which is in as thriving Circumstances at this Time as any Colony on the Continent of English America, and is of more Advantage to the Crown of Great Britain than any of the other more Northerly Plantations (Virginia and Maryland excepted).

This Colony was at first planted by a genteel Sort of People that were well acquainted with Trade, and had either Money or Parts to make good Use of the Advantages that offer’d, as most of them have done by raising themselves to great Estates and considerable Places of Trust and Posts of Honour, in this thriving Settlement. Since the first Planters, abundance of French and others have gone over and rais’d themselves to considerable Fortunes. They are very neat and exact in Packing and Shipping of their
Commodities, which Method has got them so great a Character [reputation] Abroad that they generally come to a good Market with their Commodities; when oftentimes the Product of other Plantations are forc’d to be sold at lower Prices. They have a considerable Trade both to Europe and the West Indies, whereby they become rich and are supply’d with all Things necessary for Trade and genteel Living, which several other Places fall short of. . . 

Their Roads, with great Industry, are made very good and pleasant. Near the Town is built a fair Parsonage-house with necessary Offices, and the Minister has a very considerable Allowance from his Parish. There is likewise a French Church in Town of the Reform’d Religion [French Protestants] and several Meeting-houses for dissenting Congregations who all enjoy at this Day an entire Liberty of their Worship, the Constitution of this Government allowing all Parties of well-meaning Christians to enjoy a free Toleration and possess the same Privileges, so long as they appear to behave themselves peaceably and well ⎯ It being the Lords Proprietors’ Intent that the Inhabitants of Carolina should be as free from Oppression as any in the Universe, which doubtless they will if their own Differences amongst themselves do not occasion the contrary.

History Blooms at Monticello - Champion of England Pea

Champion of England Pea (Pisum sativum cv.)

Fearing Burr, in Field and Garden Vegetables of America (1863), wrote that the Champion of England Pea originated in England by William Fairbeard in 1843; and observed: “It is … one of the most valuable acquisitions which have been obtained for many years, being remarkably tender and sugary, and in all respects, of first rate excellence.”

For more information & the possible availability for purchase

Contact The Tho Jefferson Center for Historic Plants or The Shop at Monticello 

Plant Lists - Tho Jefferson's (1743-1824) Ornamental Trees

Thomas Jefferson by Tadeusz Andrzej Bonawentura Kosciuszko (1746 - 1817) 

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 Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book, 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.
List compiled by Peter Hatch.

Ornamental Trees

 Abies alba Silver Fir 1812

Abies balsamea Balsam Fir ("Balm of Gilead Fir”) 1783

 Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore Maple 1796

 Acer rubrum Red Maple ("Scarlet") 1790

 Acer saccharum Sugar Maple 1791

 Acer tataricum Tatarian Maple 1810

 Aesculus hippocastanum European Horsechestnut 1771

 Aesculus octandra "Yellow horse chestnut" 1798

 Aesculus pavia Red Buckeye 1798

 Albizia julibrissen Mimosa ("Chinese silk tree") 1805

 Amelanchier canadensis Shadblow ("Service Tree") 1804

 Arbutus unedo Strawberry Tree 1778

 Artocarpus altilis Breadfruit Tree 1797

 Asimina triloba Paw Paw 1783

 Broussonetia papyrifera Paper Mulberry ("Otaheite”) 1806

 Carpinus caroliniana Ironwood 1808

 Carya illinoinensis Pecan 1790

 Carya laciniosa Shelbark Hickory 1809

 Carya ovata Shagbark Hickory 1786

 Carya sp. Gloucester Hickory, Osage Hickory 1807

 Castanea dentata American Chestnut 1773

 Castanea sativa European Chestnut ("Marronier”) 1773

 Catalpa bignonioides Catalpa ("Carolina Kidney bean tree”) 1771

 Cedrus libani Cedar of Lebanon 1807

 Ceratonia siliagua Carob Tree 1790

 Cercis canadensis Redbud ("Judas Tree") 1771

 Chamaecyparis thyoides White Cedar ("Cupressus sempervirens") 1783

 Chionanthus virginica Fringe Tree ("Snowdrop Tree,” "Venetian Sumach") 1791

 Citrus aurantifolia Lime 1809

 Citrus aurantium Sour Orange 1778

 Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood 1771

 Cornus mas Cornelian Cherry ("Ciriege corniole") 1774

 Corylus americana Hazelnut 1771

 Corylus avellana European Hazelnut ("Filbert”) 1774

 Crataegus crus-galli Cockspur Hawthorn 1771

 Crataegus laevigata English Hawthorn ("Thorn from Algiers”) 1811

 Crataegus phaenopyrum Washington Hawthorn 1804

 Diospyros virginiana Persimmon 1783

 Euonymus europaea Spindle Tree 1804

 Fagus grandifolia American Beech 1771

 Fagus sylvatica var. ‘atropunicea’ Copper Beech ("Purple Beech”) 1807

 Firmiana simplex Chinese Parasol Tree 1808

 Fraxinus americana White Ash 1804

 Fraxinus excelsior European Ash 1812

 Ginkgo biloba Ginkgo 1806

 Gleditsia triacanthos Honeylocust ("Kentucky Locust") 1783

 Gymnocladus dioica Kentucky Coffee Tree 1783

 Halesia carolina Carolina Silverbell 1817

 Ilex aquifolium English Holly 1771

 Ilex opaca American Holly 1772

 Ilex vomitoria Yaupon Holly ("Cassine") 1771

 Juglans nigra Black Walnut 1767

 Juglans regia European Walnut ("Madeira Walnut”) 1791

 Juniperus virginiana Red Cedar 1771

 Koelreuteria paniculata Golden-rain Tree 1809

 Laburnum anagyroides Golden-chain Tree 1807

 Larix decidua European Larch ("Italian larch”) 1784

 Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Poplar 1783

 Maclura pomifera Osage Orange ("Bow wood") 1804

 Magnolia acuminata Cucumber Magnolia 1806

 Magnolia grandiflora Southern Magnolia 1791

 Magnolia tripetala Umbrella Magnolia ("Umbrella") 1767

 Magnolia virginiana Sweet Bay Magnolia ("Swamp Laurel”) 1790

 Malus coronaria Wild Sweet Crab 1778

 Malus sylvestris European Crab 1812

 Melia azedarach Chinaberry ("Pride of China,” "Bead tree") 1778

 Morus alba White Mulberry 1771

 Morus nigra Black Mulberry 1816

 Morus rubra Red Mulberry 1791

 Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae Balsam of Peru 1791

 Olea europea Olive 1774

 Picea abies Norway Spruce ("Norway fir") 1798

 Picea glauca White Spruce ("Large silver fir”) 1791

 Picea mariana Black Spruce ("Newfoundland fir”) 1783

 Pinus rigida Pitch Pine 1807

 Pinus strobus White Pine ("Weymouth Pine") 1804

 Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine 1798

 Platanus acerifolia London Plane 1812

 Platanus occidentalis Sycamore 1790

 Populus balsamifera Balsam Poplar ("Tacamahac") 1791

 Populus deltoides Cottonwood ("Cotton tree") 1805

 Populus x gileadensis Balm of Gilead 1794

 Populus nigra var. italica Lombardy Poplar 1793

 Populus tremula European Poplar ("Monticello aspen") 1789

 Populus tremuloides Aspen 1778

 Prunus avium Sweet Cherry 1808

 Prunus cerasus Sour Cherry ("dwarf cherry") 1771

 Prunus persica Flowering Peach 1783

 Prunus virginiana Wild Black Cherry ("Choak cherry”) 1790

 Quercus coccifera Kermes Oak ("Prickly Kermes") 1807

 Quercus ilicifolia Bear Oak ("Dwarf oak”) 1806

 Quercus phellos Willow Oak 1794

 Quercus robur English Oak 1812

 Quercus suber Cork Oak 1790

 Robinia pseudoacacia Black Locust ("Common locust”) 1771

 Robinia viscosa Red Locust 1808

 Salix alba var. vitellina Yellow Willow 1790

 Salix babylonica Weeping Willow 1794

 Sassafras albidum Sassafras 1783

 Sorbus aucuparia European Mountain Ash 1790

 Taxus baccata English Yew 1808

 Thuja occidentalis Arborvitae 1783

 Thuja orientalis Chinese Arborvitae 1783

 Tilia americana Basswood 1783

 Tsuga canadensis Canadian Hemlock (“Hemlock Spruce”) 1790

 Ulmus americana American Elm 1790

 Ulmus procera European elm 1812

 Viburnum prunifolium Black Haw 1771

 Virgilia capensis 1822

 Zanthoxylum americanum Prickly Ash 1807

 Zizyphus jujuba Common Jujube 1809

Research & images & much more are directly available from the Monticello.org website. 

1764 Plants in 18C Colonial American Gardens - Virginian John Randolph (727-1784) - Endive

A Treatise on Gardening Written by a native of this State (Virginia)
Author was John Randolph (1727-1784)
Written in Williamsburg, Virginia about 1765
Published by T. Nicolson, Richmond, Virginia. 1793
The only known copy of this booklet is found in the Special Collections of the Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.

Endive

Endive...in order to have an early crop, should be sown in the beginning of May, though it is apt to seed when sown early, and when it is large enough, which will be probably about the latter end of June: plant it out either in rich trenches as you do celery, or in beds; and when it is grown to its full size, tie the leaves up, and earth it up to the crown of the plant. In June sow more seed, and in July; and when fit, transplant it at about a foot distance as is before directed; when you tie it up observe that the leaves are not wet, and are sound, because if tied up at that time they are apt to rot. In December, and other cold months, cover the plants with pea harlm, boards, or other things that will shelter them, otherwise the frost will destroy them. In January or February, or rather March, prick out twelve of the most flourishing plants, and they will run to seed in July, though I believe if they are permitted to stand undisturbed they will seed as well. It does not last above a month after being tied up. In February the plants should, with a flat pointed dibble, be put into the side of a trench, with the crown to the sun..

Garden to Table - South Carolina - Peanuts

Dr David S Shields, author and distinguished professor at the University of South Carolina tells us of the "Carolina African Runner Peanut.  This small sweet peanut was the variety brought over by enslaved Africans from the Gold Coast and Slave Coast at the end of the 17th century—it is the ancestral peanut of the South."

Slaves appear to have planted peanuts throughout the southern United States (the word goober comes from the Congo name for peanuts – nguba). In the 18C, peanuts, then called groundnuts or ground peas, were studied by botanists & suggested as an excellent food for pigs. Records show that peanuts were grown commercially in South Carolina around 1800 & used for oil, food & a substitute for cocoa.

Although there were some commercial peanut farms in the U.S. during the 18C & 19C, peanuts were not grown extensively. Until the Civil War, the peanut remained basically a regional food associated with the southern U.S.

The legumes eventually made their way to the South on board slave ships, which were stocked with peanuts for the long voyage. Some speculate that the peanut plant may have originated in Brazil or Peru, although no fossil records exist to prove this.

For as long as people have been making pottery in South America (3,500 years or so) they have been making jars shaped like peanuts & decorated with peanuts. Graves of ancient Incas found along the dry western coast of South America often contain jars filled with peanuts & left with the dead to provide food in the afterlife. Tribes in central Brazil also ground peanuts with maize to make an intoxicating beverage for celebrations.

In the Americas, peanuts were grown as far north as Mexico by the time the Spanish began their exploration of the New World. European explorers took peanuts back to Spain, where they are still grown. From Spain, traders & explorers took peanuts to Africa & Asia. In Africa the plant became common in the western tropical region. The peanut was regarded by many Africans as one of several plants possessing a soul.

During the 19C American Civil War, letters & memoirs from the Civil War relate that Confederate soldiers were without the basics of bread or meat, especially toward the end of the war. Peanuts were an available food & could be carried wherever they went. On the trail, soldiers roasted or boiled peanuts over campfires & added salt as a preservative.

1764 Plants in 18C Colonial American Gardens - Virginian John Randolph (727-1784) - Hyssop

A Treatise on Gardening Written by a native of this State (Virginia)
Author was John Randolph (1727-1784)
Written in Williamsburg, Virginia about 1765
Published by T. Nicolson, Richmond, Virginia. 1793
The only known copy of this booklet is found in the Special Collections of the Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.

Hyssop

Hyssop, Hissopus, is a purging or cleansing plant, for in the Psalms it says, "purge me with Hyssop:" and though the Hyssop of the ancients we are in some respect unacquainted with, yet we have reason to believe it was a low plant, for Solomon is said to have described all plants, from the Cedar to the Hyssop. If propagated by seed, they should be sown in poor dry land in March, in beds, and when fit, should be transplanted where they are to remain, about two feet asunder. If from cuttings, they should be planted out in April or May, in a border defended from the heat of the sun. It is a hardy plant, and if not in dunged ground, which makes them luxurious and feeble, they will resist the severest weather. The winter is thought to be the ancient Hyssop, because it is much demanded, and used in the eastern countries in washings and purifications.

South Carolina - A bit about Garden & Field Labor 1765 Charleston

Philadelphia merchant, Pelatiah Webster (1725-1795), wrote of his business trip to the city in 1765, "The laborious business is here chiefly done by black slaves of which there are great multitudes...Dined with Mr. Liston, passed the afternoon agreeably at his summer house till 5 o’clock P. M. then went up into the steeple of St. Michael’s, the highest in town & which commands a fine prospect of the town, harbour, river, forts, sea, &c...The heats are much too severe, the water bad, the soil sandy, the timber too much evergreen; but with all these disadvantages, ’tis a flourishing place, capable of vast improvement."
Pelatiah Webster, Journal of a voyage from Philadelphia to Charles Town, May-June 1765

 Philadelphia merchant, Pelatiah Webster kept a daily journal of his two-month business trip to Charles Town.  T. P. Harrison, ed., “Journal of a Voyage to Charlestown in So. Carolina by Pelatiah Webster in 1765,” Publications of the Southern History.  Association 2:1 (January 1898), pp. 131-148.

May 27. Spent in viewing the town. It contains about 1000 houses, with inhabitants, 5000 whites and 20,000 blacks; has 8 houses for religious worship, viz. [namely] St. Philip’s & St. Michael’s, Ctch. [Church] of England, large stone buildings with porticos with large pillars and steeples. St. Michael’s has a good ring of bells. 1 Scotch Presbyterian Ctch.; 1 Independent, called the New England Meeting; 1 Dutch Ctch., and two Baptist meetings, & one French Ctch.: these 3 last very small.

The State-House is a heavy building of about 120 by 40 feet. The Council Chamber is about 40 feet square, decorated with many heavy pillars & much carving, rather superb than elegant. The assembly room is of the same dimensions, but much plainer work, ’tis convenient enough.

The streets of this city run N. & S., and E. & W., intersecting each other at right angles. They are not paved except the footways within the posts about 6 feet wide, which are paved with brick in the principal streets.

There are large fortifications here but mostly unfinished and ruinous. There is a pretty fort on James Island called Johnson’s fort  which commands the entrance of the harbour . . .

The laborious business is here chiefly done by black slaves of which there are great multitudes.  The climate is very warm; the chief produce is rice & indigo; the manufacture of hemp is set afoot & likely to succeed very well. They have considerable lumber and naval stores [tar, pitch, and turpentine]. They export annually 100,000 barrels of rice & 60,000 lbs. indigo, . . 

The[y] have no considerable seminaries of learning [colleges], but many youth of quality go to London for an education. The people are vastly affable and polite, quite free from pride, & a stranger may make himself very easy with them. . . 

Wedsday 29 [May 1765]. Still sauntering about town as much as the great heats will permit. Dinner with Mr. Tho[mas]. Smith, a reputable merchant in this town & in very fine business: is an agreeable sensible kind man: passed my time with him very pleasantly several hours.

Thursd. 30. Dined this day with Mr. John Poaug, a Scotch merchant in this City, a very genteel polite man. . . 

Monday, 3 [June 1765]. Dined this day with Mr. Thomas Liston, a reputable merchant born here: is a man of great openness & politeness, of generous sentiments & a very genteel behaviour: passed the afternoon very agreeably in his summer house with him & Mr. Lindo, a noted Jew, inspector of Indigo here.

Tuesd. 4. The militia all appeared under arms, about 800, & the guns at all the forts were fired, it being the King’s Birthday. The artillery made a good appearance and performed their exercises and firings very well. The militia were not so well trained & exercised but made a pretty good & handsome appearance. N. B. [nota bene; note well] The militia & artillery of Charlestown are said to consist of 1300 men in the whole list from 16 to 60 years old. . . 

Saturday 8. Very hot. Met with disappointment in the sale of my flour which lies on my hands & I fear I must leave it unsold or expose it to vendue [auction] with loss of what I have procured with long pains & industry: my mind is somewhat depressed.  Dined with Mr. Liston, passed the afternoon agreeably at his summer house till 5 o’clock P. M. then went up into the steeple of St. Michael’s, the highest in town & which commands a fine prospect of the town, harbour, river, forts, sea, &c. . . .

Tuesday 11. Sold 12 BBl. flour at £4 [four English pounds] currency pr. ct. which is about first cost to Mr. Peter Boquet & the rest. Mr. Liston procured me a sale of at 90/ pr. ct. So I am over the difficulties of my sales. Dined with Mr. Liston, Capt. Bains from London & Mr. Head. Passed the evening at the Reverend Rob[er]t Smith’s.

Wednesday 12. Spent most of this day in settling my little accounts business], exchanging my monies into dollars. The season is gay but the air sultry, yet cooled by frequent squalls of wind & rain. Passed some hours in Mr. Liston’s summer house and the evening with Mr. Glen.

Thursd. 13. See an alligator of which there are many in the rivers & bays in this country. They are made much like what is called swift in N[ew] ngland. This I see was about 3 feet long & three inches diameter in
the body: his skin was scaly much like a snake, his mouth very large and cavernous, his teeth irregular, long, partaking partly of those of fish & partly of those of a dog. Some of these amphibious animals here are surprisingly large & 15 or 18 feet long. . . 

Friday 14 [June 1765]. A hot sultry day. Went with Mr. Liston in a boat to Sullivan’s Island where there were 2[00] or 300 Negroes performing quarantine with the small pox. This island is 7 miles E. from the town, about 4 miles long, very sandy, hot, and barren, though there are some groves of
trees in it. There is a pest-house  here with pretty good conveniences. The most moving sight was a poor white man performing quarantine alone in a boat, at anchor ten rods from shore, with an awning & pretty poor accommodations. . . 

Sat. June 15. Warm & sultry. Dined with Mr. Liston, & passed the forenoon at the library. Passed some hours this afternoon with some Guinea captains,  who are a rough set of people, but somewhat carressed by the merchants on account of the great profits of their commissions. Spent the evening in walking and smoked a pipe at Mr. Glen’s.

Sund. 16. A. M. attended Divine service at the Scotch Presbyterian meeting. Rev’d. Mr. Hewett preached. Dined with Mr. Glen & sundry [various] other gentlemen, viz. [namely] Mr. Miche, McCauly, merchants, &c. P. M. Attended Divine service at the New England Independent meeting. . . Had a fine walk with Mr. Carpenter, a gentleman from Jamaica just arrived, & afterwards spent the evening very agreeably with Mr. Glen. . . 

Tuesday 18. . . . embarked on board the brigantine Prince of Wales, Thomas Mason, Commander, for Philadelphia; took leave of all my Charlestown friends. At 4 P. M. made sail: at 7 anchored off the fort, not being to get over the [sand] bar. I have Mrs. Phanny Johnson an infant of 5 years old in my care for the voyage. She is a fatherless child & bound to Philadelphia in her way to Quebec to her grandfather, the Rev’d. Mr. Brooks, who has sent for her.

Now I have left Charlestown, an agreeable & polite place in which I was used [treated] very genteely & contracted much acquaintaince for the time I stayed here. The heats are much too severe, the water bad, the soil sandy, the timber too much evergreen; but with all these disadvantages, ’tis a flourishing place, capable of vast improvement: will have, I fear, some uncomfortable bands of banditti on its frontiers soon, its distance from proper authority having already drawn there great numbers of very idle dissolute people who begin to be very troublesome.

Weds-day 19th [June 1765]. At 4 A. M. weighed anchor & made sail. The wind headed us and we turned it over the Bar at 12, wind at N. E.: steered E. S. E. ’till we gained a good offing, then tacked & steered N. ’till we were at night abreast Bull’s Island, then tacked again & stood off from the land.   [Webster’s ship arrived in Philadelphia June 25.] 

Pelatiah Webster, while not known for his gardening efforts, was the author of a number of thoughtful and accurate pamphlets on the potential finances and government of the United States, most of which he reprinted in his “Political Essays” in Philadelphia in 1791. He was such an ardent supporter of the patriot cause, that the British imprisoned him for 4 months in Philadelphia; before they were dispatched back to the beautiful emerald isle..

1764 Plants in 18C Colonial American Gardens - Virginian John Randolph (727-1784) - Marsh Mallow

A Treatise on Gardening Written by a native of this State (Virginia)
Author was John Randolph (1727-1784)
Written in Williamsburg, Virginia about 1765
Published by T. Nicolson, Richmond, Virginia. 1793
The only known copy of this booklet is found in the Special Collections of the Wyndham Robertson Library at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia.

Marsh Mallow

Marsh Mallow, Althaea, gr.from Althos, gr. medicament. These may be raised from seed sown in March, and transplanted into pots or elsewhere, or from cuttings planted in May in a light soil, and shaded.

South Carolina - Seed Dealers & Nursery Owners

Charles Fraser (1782-1860) Golden Groves The Seat of Mrs (John) Sommers Stono River. Carolina Art Association Gibbes Museum, Charleston, South Carolina

South Carolina was a world of its own in the early 18th century, & it might be interesting to compare & contrast the marketing of plants & the growth of professional seed & plant dealers there with the more northern colonies.

Searching for Native Plants

In warm, nearly tropical South Carolina, naturalists Mark Catesby (1682-1749) amp; John Bartram (1699-1777) both visited the intriguing colony, increasing botanical awareness in the area & abroad. Catesby & Bartram took samples of new plants they found & traded them with others, on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

John Bartram, the Philadelphia gardener, explorer, & botanist, regularly sent plants to English merchant & botanist Peter Collinson (1649-1768). His famous garden at Mill Hill contained many American plants.

c. 1796. Charles Fraser (1782-1860). The Seat of James Fraser, Esq., Goose Creek, South Carolina. The Carolina Art Association Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina. James Fraser was the older brother of Charles. The house was called Wigton

Whether planting their lands for necessity or pleasure, early South Carolina gardeners were initially bound to write back to England for gardening manuals & for many of the specific plants & seeds they were familiar with from their mother country. But soon, commercial seed dealers & nursery owners began importing plants to sell directly to South Carolina gardeners.

Many South Carolina gardeners ordered their seeds directly from England. In the December 19, 1754, issue of the South Carolina Gazette, Captain Thomas Arnott noted that he brought a box of “Tulip, Narcissus, & other Flower Roots” from England “supposed to have been ordered by some person of this province” & that the “person that can properly claim them, may have them.”

c 1796. Charles Fraser (1782-1860). Rice Hope viewed from One of the Rice Fields. South Carolina. The Carolina Art Association Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina.

Comparison of seed dealers & nursery owners in South Carolina & the Mid-Atlantic & Upper South

The pattern established by the growing South Carolina seed & nursery trade is similar to that of the Mid-Atlantic & Upper South, but there are some significant differences. In the extended Chesapeake region, gardeners & plant dealers dedicated to promoting & selling plants found their most secure footing after the Revolution.

Female Pennsylvania & South Carolina nursery owners & seed merchants successfully began selling both useful & ornamental plants decades before the Revolution. In South Carolina, much seed & plant material was imported from England, both before & after the Revolution.

In the Chesapeake, the earliest seed merchants & nursery owners, appearing after the Revolution, were from France & Germany. After the war, Dutch bulbs & roots found their way into South Carolina as well; & itinerant French seed merchants also peddled their wares in Charleston, but English nursery proprietors continued to own the majority of Carolina businesses.

In both regions, English gardeners & nursery owners came to dominate the local seed & nursery trade by the turn of the century. Both Chesapeake & Carolina garden entrepreneurs offered a full range of stock from greenhouse plants to seeds for field crops, from traditional medicinal herbs to fragrant shrubs by the beginning of the first decade of the 19th-century.

Seed merchants & nursery owners in both areas aggressively advertised their services & stock (at both retail & wholesale prices) in regional newspapers, & sometimes offered free printed catalogues to prospective clients. Gardeners in both regions sold seeds & plants at their nurseries & stores; at local farmers’ markets; & through agents at various locations throughout their regions.

Jacques Burkhardt (1818-1867). Home of Gabriel Manigault.

Gardeners from both regions sold seeds & plants imported from Philadelphia & New York, as well as those from their local suppliers. A new nationwide network of capitalistic nursery & seed business was nipping at the heels of traditional garden barter exchanges in the Mid-Atlantic, Upper South, & South Carolina as the 19th-century dawned over the horizon.