# Crops grown almost exclusively in one state (except CA and HI) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 27, 2025, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426 "2025-09-27T11:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/21 "2025-09-27T16:25:09Z")
In New Mexico the term green chile refers to the Hatch variety. Poblanos et al are something different. A green chile cheese burger has a green chile not a poblano. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/22 "2025-09-27T16:28:47Z")
Ohio grows the most paw paws, about three times as much as the nearest other state, WV. I just found a map not a list but looks like about 50%. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/23 "2025-09-27T16:36:18Z")
I thought most potatoes came from Idaho. Apparently only about a third of them do. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/24 "2025-09-27T16:44:32Z")
Michigan iirc is no 2 in crop diversity Michigan/ Oceania county is the top asparagus producer in the US. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/25 "2025-09-27T17:00:30Z")
This is not a crop, but since it’s interesting I’ll mention that venus flytraps only grow in a small part of North Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/26 "2025-09-27T17:17:32Z")
90% of marionberries are grown in Oregon. > **[Marionberry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marionberry)** > > The marionberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus) is a cultivar of blackberry released in 1956 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service breeding program in cooperation with Oregon State University. It is named after Marion County, Oregon, where the berry was bred and tested extensively in the mid-20th century. > A cross between the 'Chehalem' and 'Olallie' varieties, it is the most widely planted trailing blackberry in the world. Oregon accounts for over 90% of the worldwide acreage of marionberries. > Ma... ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/27 "2025-09-27T18:41:17Z")
NPR just aired this story about Illinois and pumpkins. Per the story, “According to the USDA, Illinois harvests more pumpkins than twice the next five states combined.” I don’t know if that meets the 90% threshold, though. [https://www.npr.org/2025/09/27/nx-s1-5552717/how-did-illinois-become-the-great-pumpkin-state](https://www.npr.org/2025/09/27/nx-s1-5552717/how-did-illinois-become-the-great-pumpkin-state) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/28 "2025-09-27T19:09:31Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Ohio grows the most paw paws, about three times as much as the nearest other state, WV. I just found a map not a list but looks like about 50%. I was just thinking about that, and about other fruits and vegetables that aren’t widely available in stores (usually because they don’t travel well). Ground cherries were another one I thought of, but it looks like they’re widespread enough that no state could dominate. > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > 100% of Hatch chiles are grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. If we’re going to go with regional varieties, there are also Walla Walla (Washington) and Vidalia (Georgia) onions. Nor can you just get seeds and grow them wherever you want: Their characteristic bland flavor is due, in part, to the local soils (which, IIRC, are very low in sulfur). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/29 "2025-09-27T19:45:05Z")
I came to this thread to mention Illinois and pumpkins. Outside of Peoria there’s a pumpkin cannery, and fields of pumpkins as far as the eye can see. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/30 "2025-09-27T20:30:08Z")
I haven’t been able to find definitive numbers, but I’m pretty sure that most of the wild rice in the U.S. comes from Minnesota. It’s also grown in California, but I don’t think nearly as much. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/31 "2025-09-27T21:07:53Z")
If we’re going with non-food crops - Lake Placid, FL is essentially the sole source of Caladium bulbs _ **in the world** _ (not just the US) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/32 "2025-09-28T00:13:54Z")
California also produces 99 percent of America’s pomegranates. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/33 "2025-09-28T00:50:22Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I don’t know if that meets the 90% threshold, though. No. They produce about a third of the crop in the US. > **[Pumpkin Production by State 2025](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/pumpkin-production-by-state)** > > Discover population, economy, health, and more with the most comprehensive global statistics at your fingertips. ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/34 "2025-09-28T03:27:24Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > And I have doubts about some on this list (notably garlic and lemon Garlic immediately brings the town of Gilroy to mind. They call themselves the garlic capital of the world. However they note [here](https://garlicworld.com/our-story/) > Over 50% of America’s garlic is now grown in the area around Gilroy and 90% of the country’s garlic harvest is processed here. The remaining garlic might still be Californian, which would make sense for processing. But there is no doubt, for a town of 60,000, Gilroy is something special in garlic production. Most US consumed garlic is apparently from China. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/35 "2025-09-28T04:57:49Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Garlic immediately brings the town of Gilroy to mind. They call themselves the garlic capital of the world. Whereas Castroville, the “Artichoke Center of the World,” produces about 75 percent of America’s artichokes. (Sadly, the long-running Artichoke Festival went belly-up this year.) ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/36 "2025-09-28T15:47:29Z")
Maine produces only about 20% of all blueberries grown in the US, but well over 90% (possibly more than 99%) of so-called “wild blueberries,” which despite their name are actually cultivated. The wild blueberry or lowbush blueberry (mostly _Vaccinium angustifolium_) is a different species from the more widely grown highbush or cultivated blueberry (_Vaccinium corymbosum_). ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/37 "2025-09-28T16:48:43Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Garlic immediately brings the town of Gilroy to mind. They call themselves the garlic capital of the world. And we have Celeryville, Ohio. The muck soil is perfect for the stalks. I doubt that we dominate the celery market, though. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/38 "2025-09-28T17:02:13Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Maine produces only about 20% of all blueberries grown in the US, but well over 90% (possibly more than 99%) of so-called “wild blueberries,” which despite their name are actually cultivated. I lived for a time a few miles from Cherryfield, Maine, self-proclaimed _Blueberry Capital of the World_ – there was a big sign proclaiming this just outside town. Blueberries are one of my big favorites so, arriving in Spring I patiently waited for summer when – I imagined – there’d be farmer booths all over the place selling them by the bucket. Nope, not a one. They must export them all. It was a huge disappointment. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/39 "2025-09-28T18:48:32Z")
> [@Francis\_Vaughan](#): > > Garlic immediately brings the town of Gilroy to mind. They call themselves the garlic capital of the world. > [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > (Sadly, the long-running Artichoke Festival went belly-up this year.) I’m sure you know, but most folks not from NorCal won’t, that the Gilroy Garlic Festival was a casualty of COVID. I have sampled the garlic wine and garlic ice cream there back in the day. Great once in a lifetime experiences both. Collinsville IL bills itself the horseradish capital of the world. They have a horseradish festival. > **[International Horseradish Festival June 2025 Collinsville IL](https://internationalhorseradishfestival.com/)** > > International Horseradish Festival - Sponsored by the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce. Food, drinks, entertainment, 5K run, root toss, kid activities & more. Oddly, the local pronunciation of “horseradish” is “horse-rish” with very slight emphasis on the “horse” syllable over the “rish” syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426/40 "2025-09-28T18:54:58Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I’m sure you know, but most folks not from NorCal won’t, that the Gilroy Garlic Festival was a casualty of COVID. Also a mass shooting, which happened at the end of the festival in 2019. They couldn’t afford the insurance when the pandemic finally lifted, partly because of that shooting. The festival returned this year, but in a smaller form, with attendance limited to 3,000 people per day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crops-grown-almost-exclusively-in-one-state-except-ca-and-hi/1023426.md?page=3)