In the American South, enslaved peoples grew their favorite crops in personal gardens. This gave them the freedom to grow nutritious crops to supplement their lackluster rations. 

The plants they grew were a mix of African, American, and European vegetables. Honor their legacy by cultivating the crops they grew in your garden this Juneteenth. Start with these 11 sun-lovers that excel under summer’s heat. 

Black-Eyed Pea

Bushy and dense, these beans fit well in sunny spots.

Black-eyed peas aren’t peas, but beans! They’re often bushy and dense rather than long and vining. These beans originated in Africa, though nowadays, growers cultivate them worldwide.

Their many uses make black-eyed peas essential in the kitchen garden. Eat their leaves, flowers, immature bean pods, or mature dry beans. In the yard, these leguminous vegetables fix nitrogen to the benefit of your other crops. 

Bush beans are perfect companions for corn, squash, tomatoes, and peppers. They need more than six hours of direct sunlight daily, and they like growing in well-drained, fertile soil. 

Corn

Loves warm weather and stands tall through droughts easily.

Corn is cheap and widely available, as it’s a primary commercial crop in North America. Grow it yourself to see this majestic plant in action. It’s a necessary component of the Three Sisters’ garden, a longtime American Indian planting style that puts squash, corn, and beans together in a single bed. 

Corn is a summer crop that withstands heat and drought better than most others. Plant its seeds well after the last frost date, when the weather is warm and frost is no longer a possibility.  

Cucumber

Letting them trail or climb adds charm to any garden.

Vining, spreading cucumbers honor Juneteenth with their history of cultivation. They were popular then, and they’re just as famous today. Let them ramble along the ground, or give them a supporting trellis to help them grow tall.

Cucumbers are hardy and resilient, growing well despite harsh growing conditions. They helped enslaved persons resist starvation on more than one occasion. 

Some cucumbers cause burping and indigestion when consumed in large quantities. Try a burpless variety for easy digestion, like ‘Tendergreen.’

Gilo Eggplant

Thrives best with sunshine, space, and just enough water.

Gilo eggplants are an African variety of the crop with teardrop-shaped, white eggplants. They’re an essential food in Ghana, where they’re popular with tomatoes and peppers. 

To grow these historical veggies in your own garden, give them plenty of sunlight, space, and moisture. They’re drought-tolerant, though they prefer consistent watering to thrive. 

Okra

Grows strong and steady, even when summer turns tough.

Okra hails from Africa and Asia, and it entered the American South from these continents alongside enslaved people. In North America, okra performs well despite harsh summer conditions, like excessive heat and long droughts. It’s a perfect low-maintenance vegetable.

When you plant okra, you honor the legacy of those who grew this veggie in their gardens. Incredibly ornamental, it has blossoms that will wow visitors to your yard.

Onion

A garden helper that fights pests and flavors meals.

Peanut

Unique blooms send their babies underground for safe growing.

Peanuts are different from most other veggies. Their flowers bury themselves underground, where they form hard coatings around their precious seeds. 

Though peanuts originated from South America, they didn’t find their way to the U.S. until enslaved Africans brought them over for planting. They adorned their gardens with these plants. Since then, the crops have spread worldwide in both popularity and cultivation. 

Pepper

Starting indoors first helps these fiery fruits shine come summer.

Peppers are heat-loving crops that are second only to tomatoes. Many varieties were favorites of the enslaved people, like ‘Cayenne,’ ‘African Bird’s Eye,’ and ‘Fish Pepper.’ These small chiles added powerful and spicy flavor to meals and dishes. Dried, they lasted many months in storage.

Peppers are frost-tender perennials, and most growers choose to cultivate them as summer annuals. Start seeds indoors in winter, and transplant them outside once the weather warms in spring. 

Sweet Potato

Rich and sweet, they bring comfort to the holiday table.

Sweet potatoes transcend their status as a vegetable; their rich sweetness is fruitlike! Use them in pies, roast them whole, or bake them into casseroles for Thanksgiving. 

Like other popular food crops of the enslaved persons, this one found its way into the enslaver’s kitchens by way of the cooks who grew them. Remember their legacy by cultivating it yourself in large beds with plenty of space. 

Taro

A tropical traveler now rooted in backyard gardens worldwide.

Taro, like sweet potato, is a root crop that forms swelling, edible corms. Boil, roast, or sauté them to enjoy their savory, creamy flesh.

As with sweet potatoes, taro plants found their way to the continent when enslaved Africans brought them over. Though they’re native to tropical Asia, they traveled along trade routes to spread into Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas.

Tomato

Thrives in southern heat, offering juicy bites all summer.

Tomato fruits are one of the most popular garden crops, and for good reason! They were popular before Juneteenth, as they provided sweet, tasty, and nutritious fruits without asking for much in return. Resilient and hardy, they were ideal for growing in the hot and humid regions of the southern U.S.

Many tomato varieties exist, and each has a unique history of cultivation. Choose a few of your favorites for ultimate variety in the home garden.