Black Botanical Heritage:

Black Botanical Heritage:. Plants of the African Diaspora. , Africa has a rich botanical heritage. So many unique and necessary plants from this continent have made their way around the world from castor beans to watermelons, okra to ancient grains. , , Generations of African farmers selected, perfected and domesticated crops that fended off famine, fed their families and were finely tuned to Africa's incredibly diverse growing conditions. , , The "culture" of African agriculture was communal, with traditions that respected the land, its limits and carefully balanced the give and take of growing food without depleting the soil. But Africa's people and their agricultural gifts were exploited. , , What is the African Diaspora? , During the 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, more than 12 million Africans were carried off from their homelands and forced to work the mines and plantations of the Americas. , , Africa's people were torn from their families and traditions, subjected to crushing workloads and hunger. Today, this tragedy is known as the African Diaspora. , , Botanically speaking, this same period is called the "Columbian Exchange" (after Christopher Columbus). Today, we know Columbus's explorations helped spread European culture, education and Christian religion to the New World, but we also realize that, tragically, disease and oppression followed Columbus as well. Coincidentally, many plants from the Old and New Worlds traveled in his wake and took root. , , Africans Contributed More Than Just Muscle , African knowledge and agricultural skill fueled Colonial expansion. Africans from the rice-growing regions of West Africa taught South Carolina plantation owners to grow rice. Rice had been domesticated independently in both Africa and Asia for thousands of years. Africans passed on this specialized agricultural knowledge, and rice soon became a profitable plantation crop in the South. , , The Traveling Plants , Trade introduced New World crops such as corn and peanuts to Africa. To provide food on voyages, ports sold familiar African food staples like sorghum, African rice and black-eyed peas. , , Some Asian plants like bananas and sugarcane also came to the Americas from Africa during this time (these had already spread to Africa by Spice Trade caravans from India and Asia.) , , Gardening: A Survival Skill , To survive on meager rations, transplanted Africans had to grow their own food. They tended their own gardens after their workdays were done. Crops of the Americas (corn, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes) were grown with African staples (sorghum, rice, cowpeas and okra), and New World plants like sweet potatoes and tannia. , , Heritage Plants: , As you walk through the Herb Garden, look for plant labels with the Heritage logo. Each tells a story of how these plants connect us to Africa's botanical heritage. . This historical marker was erected by Boerner Botanical Gardens, Milwaukee County Parks. It is in Hales Corners in Milwaukee County Wisconsin