Bread wheat
Triticum aestivum
Born about 8,000 years ago when emmer crossed with a wild goat grass; now the most widely grown crop on earth.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 9
Light: full sun
Size: about 3.5 ft tall, 0.5 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: South of the Caspian Sea
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Native to: Mediterranean, Central Asian steppe, Sahara & Arabian deserts. Hardy in zones 2 to 9.
The story
Bread wheat was born about 8,000 years ago, south of the Caspian Sea, when farmed emmer crossed with a wild goat grass. It spread with farming across Europe and Asia and now covers more land than any other crop; the Great Lakes are major soft-wheat country.
Planting
Full sun and drained soil. In Ohio sow winter wheat in late September to October, an inch deep; spring wheat goes in as early as the soil can be worked.
Growing
Keep weeded early and give a little compost. Winter wheat sits low through the cold and races up in spring. A small bed of 100 square feet gives a few loaves' worth.
Harvest and use
Cut when the straw is gold and a grain dents but doesn't squash under a fingernail. Dry the bundles, thresh and winnow, then grind fresh for bread.
What to watch for
Birds, rust and mildew in damp weather.
See if Bread wheat fits your yard
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home