Peas

Peas (Pisum sativum) is native to the Mediterranean Basin and the Near East, and then spread to India and Europe. It is a very hardy legume and can grow through mild winters. The shoots, immature pods, and seeds are all eaten. The seeds can be yellow or green and the pods can be green, yellow or purple. In the mid-19th century, an Austrian monk called Gregor Mendel grew and bred thousands of pea plants and developed the principles of Mendelian genetics, which formed the foundation of modern genetics.