Types Of Vegetables: A Complete List For Better Growing

There are many types of vegetables grown all over the world and you can grow in your vegetable garden. The parts of plants that are consumed by humans as food by cooking are called vegetables. In other words, any edible parts of plants consumed by humans are called vegetables.

There is some confusion between fruits and vegetables. But one major thing that can differentiate vegetables and fruits is cooking. Vegetables are consumed after cooking. On the other hand, fruits are consumed before cooking. It will be clear from an example that when radish consumed before cooking it is called fruit and after cooking it is called a vegetable.

However, there are many types of vegetables all over the world and specialists are categorized into different types. In this article, we’ll know the types of vegetables with some examples.

Types of vegetables

All vegetables are categorized into two major types which are;

1. Aerial vegetables
2. Underground vegetables

1. Aerial vegetables

These types of vegetables are produced in the aerial portion of the earth’s surface. These are also called above-ground vegetables the following vegetables are under this section.

1. Cole vegetables: All crops under the Brassicaceae family and Cruciferae or mustard family. Example; Cabbage Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Collards, Kale,  Broccoli, etc.
2. legumes/ pulse crops: These vegetables are part of the Fabaceae (or Leguminosae) family. Example; Pea, Soybean Bean.
3. Solanaceous fruit crops: Tomato, Eggplant, Pepper.
4. Vine crops/cucurbits: These vegetables are mostly from the Cucurbitaceae family: Example; Cucumber, Squash, Melon, Calabash, Luffa, Bitter melon, watermelon, Snake gourd, Field pumpkin, Muskmelon, Ivy gourd, Spiny gourd, Pointed gourd, Tinda, Lagenaria, Club gourd, Echinocystis, etc.
5. Green/ pot herbs: Spinach, Chard, Dandelion, Curly kale, Collard, etc.
6. Salad crops: These vegetables mostly belong to the Asteraceae family. Example: Lettuce, Celery, Parsley, Endive, Kale, Arugula, etc.
7. Miscellaneous: Corn, asparagus, okra mushroom, maize.

b. Underground vegetables

These vegetables are grown under the earth’s surface.

1. Root crops: Beet, radish, turnip, sweet potato, etc.
2. Tubers and root stocks: Potato, yam, Taro, Cassava, etc.
3. Bulb crops: Onion, Garlic, Shallot, etc.