Plant varieties that have been specially bred or selected by humans for desired traits like taste, appearance, or disease resistance.
From 'cultivated variety,' combining cultivate (from Latin colere, to till) and variety. The term was coined in the early 20th century to distinguish human-bred plants from wild species.
Every apple you eat—whether it's a Honeycrisp or Granny Smith—is a different cultivar, not a different species! Plant breeders spend decades selecting seeds from the best plants to create new cultivars, which is why the same fruit tastes completely different depending on where you buy it.
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