Widely distributed over the eastern two thirds of central North America, American plum grows in prairies, woodlands, pastures, and along roadsides and riverbanks. The shrub is winter-hardy, but intolerant of shade and drought; it requires the equivalent of 22 to 25 inches of precipitation.

The bell pepper is the fruit of plants in the Grossum cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colours, including red, yellow, orange, green, white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as “sweet peppers”.

The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash, of Mesoamerican origin, which can reach nearly 1 metre in length, but is usually harvested when still immature at about 15 to 25 cm. A zucchini is a thin-skinned cultivar of what in Britain and Ireland is referred to as a marrow.