10 Plants You Dont Know in Nature

One perk of growing your ain food is you lot go to decide what you abound.

And that means you get to make up one's mind what you consume.

So you're not limited to the aforementioned, sometime, arguably deadening varieties the supermarket stocks. Yous tin brand your meals as interesting and exotic equally you lot dare.

Of course, when it comes to garden planning, experts ofttimes advise growing plants y'all know you like to eat. And that'due south solid advice. (In fact, I've recommended this arroyo myself.)

Just on the flipside, if you don't try anything new, how will you lot know what yous like?

It's in that spirit that I recently spent some time seeking out odd and interesting plants just waiting to be grown. So if y'all've got a few growing seasons under your belt and are looking to try something more adventurous — or if yous're only adventurous by nature — here are 18 unique crops yous tin can grow with Tower Garden.

18 Interesting Vegetables and Fruits to Grow

1. Achocha

Let's kick things off with 1 of the weirdest crops on this list.

The characteristics of the achocha found, also known every bit the Bolivian cucumber, vary depending on species. Its fruit — which tastes like a cucumber when picked early and like a bell pepper when picked later on — may be smooth or have soft spikes.

And every bit you can see in the video above, some varieties, um, explode.

Achocha is an ancient ingather (originally grown by the Incas in South America) and belongs to the same family as cucumbers and squash. Neat fact: Achocha is well-nigh immune to mutual cucurbit pests similar squash bugs, vine borers, and powdery mildew.

two. Alpine strawberries.

If you similar strawberries, you lot'll love this wild, intensely flavored variety. Alpine strawberries produce small, delightful fruits all season.

Grow alpine strawberries merely as you would common strawberries.

Credit: Connie Ma

3. Amaranth.

If you've tried to abound spinach (specially in warmer temperatures) and failed, this reddish-streaked, leafy light-green is for yous. Amaranth is one of the only greens that will grow well in hot, boiling conditions.

In add-on to interim as a passable substitute for crops like chard, kale, and, equally I mentioned, spinach, amaranth produces seeds that are similar to quinoa.

Credit: Oregon State University

4. Black (Indigo Rose) tomatoes.

The Indigo Rose tomato originated at Oregon Land University. The team there bred red and regal lycopersicon esculentum varieties with the goal of yielding an antioxidant-rich crop.

As a event, these tomatoes are not but visually striking, only are too reportedly healthier (containing antioxidants known every bit anthocyanins) and more savory than your standard tomato.

That said, you lot abound them just as you would a mutual love apple.

Credit: Emma Wallace

5. Calabash.

Coming in various interesting shapes and sizes, calabash is known by another, more than descriptive proper noun: bottle gourd. This is because growers oft allow the fruit dry out and then utilize the remaining outer shell every bit a natural container.

Growing calabash is much like growing squash or cucumbers.

6. Cucamelons.

Also known as Mexican or watermelon gherkins, the cucamelon looks like a miniature watermelon. But it tastes more similar a tangy cucumber.

Cucamelons have needs similar to those of cucumbers — lots of sun and warm temperatures. That said, cucamelons are really more than cold tolerant and pest-resistant than cucumbers.

7. Dandelion.

Whoa, whoa, whoa… why would yous grow a weed in your Tower Garden? It does seem a bit counterintuitive. Most people are trying to eradicate dandelions from lawns and gardens, not nurture them, after all.

But — packed with vitamins, calcium, and more — dandelion greens offer more healthful benefits than some of the more standard crops you detect in the produce aisle. And true to the phrase, "grows like a weed," dandelions flourish even with neglect.

But beware. Dandelion greens tend to taste a bit bitter.

viii. Italian chicory.

Desire to add together a little dramatic flair to your garden? (Is information technology just me, or does that look similar claret splatter?) Consider planting Italian chicory, also known as Castelfranco radicchio.

Aside from its macabre advent, this salad green isn't much different than mutual chicory. Information technology's just every bit hardy and offers the same bittersweet flavor.

9. Kalettes®.

The result of 15 years of research and testing, Kalettes are a cross between 2 glory superfoods: kale and Brussels sprouts. In instance y'all're wary of how such a mix came near, balance easy. Tozer Seeds developed Kalettes through traditional, not-GMO found breeding methods.

The visitor markets its hybrid crop equally one that "combines the all-time flavors from Brussels sprouts and kale, resulting in a fresh fusion of sweet and nutty."

x. Kiwano.

This bizarre-looking crop goes by many names: kiwano, horned melon, African cucumber, blowfish fruit, and more. Just ane thing is sure — information technology produces some otherworldly fruit.

With an orange, spiky outer and a dark-green, juicy inner, this fancy fruit has a tart taste and cucumber-esque texture. Like other cucurbits on this listing, kiwano grows well in a warm, sunny environment — the kind squash and cukes dear.

11. Kohlrabi.

I'm convinced kohlrabi is from another planet. Coming in purple, green, and white, the crop could certainly add an alien-similar element to your garden!

As a fellow member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi prefers libation temperatures. And it has a sugariness, mild flavor that's been described every bit a cross between a radish and a cucumber.

12. Long beans.

Also called yard-long beans (because the beans tin can grow from one to three feet in length), long beans can grow by inches in a single day. A traditional crop in Asia, long beans grow well in hot, humid environments.

Unlike traditional light-green beans, long beans aren't very enjoyable boiled or steamed. Merely they're splendid sautéed or stir-fried.

Credit: Guilherme Jofili

thirteen. Luffa.

Rather than buy your adjacent bath sponge, why not grow it? Belonging to the cucumber family, the luffa (also commonly spelled loofah) is known for its fruit'south gristly interior. Once dried, this skeleton can be used equally a scrubbing sponge.

You tin can also eat luffa fruit when it'southward greenish and relatively small. Multipurposing for the win!

14. Passionflower.

Varieties of this intriguing flowering vine abound natively in much of the United States. In fact, that'southward how I first discovered information technology — blooming among other wild plants aslope a route.

As you lot can encounter, the establish's beautiful flowers have an unusual structure. For this reason, big bees, hummingbirds, and bats primarily pollinate the establish.

Many species of passionflower produce small, sweet fruits. And the constitute'due south foliage is often used every bit an herb for its reputed calming effects.

fifteen. Purple cauliflower.

If you liked the black tomatoes above, you lot'll probably be interested to know that other crops — such as cauliflower — come in unusual colors, too!

This cauliflower produces majestic heads that, like the Indigo Rose tomatoes, incorporate anthocyanins. Then in addition to its unique appearance, it may offer more health benefits than standard cauliflower.

16. Romanesco.

Mesmerizingly symmetric, Romanesco'south signature pattern makes it a natural fractal.

This fascinating crop is comparable to cauliflower and broccoli, its close relatives, in both season and growing requirements.

17. Sorrel.

I tasted sorrel for the first fourth dimension final calendar week. And wow — what a surprise!

The leafy vegetable'southward younger leaves have a sharp, sour taste when eaten raw. For that reason, information technology's used sparingly (much like an herb) in salads. More often, the crop is added to soups or sauces.

Like virtually greens, sorrel prefers to grow in cooler temperatures.

eighteen. Tomatillo.

A staple ingredient in Mexican and Key American cuisine, the tomatillo's tart fruit grows in an inedible, papery husk.

Tomatillo plants require cantankerous-pollination. So yous'll need to plant at least two crops to ensure a good yield.

So, What Volition Y'all Grow?

I take lots of new plants I can't expect to try growing! (I think kiwano and Indigo Rose tomatoes might be at the top of my list.)

What about y'all? Will y'all grow whatever of these xviii crops? Take you grown some already?

Let's continue the conversation below.

Get More Plant Recommendations

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Source: https://www.towergarden.com/blog.read.html/en/2016/4/interesting-plants.html

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