The cucumber most likely originated in India (south foot of the Himalayas), or possibly Burma, where the plant is extremely variable both vegetatively and in fruit characters. It has been in cultivation for at least 3000 years. From India the plant spread quickly to China, and it was reportedly much appreciated by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The Romans used highly artificial methods of growing the
cucumber when necessary to have it for the Emperor Tiberius out of season. Columbus brought the cucumber to the New World, along with many other vegetables. He had them planted in Haiti in 1494, and possibly on other islands. Most of the distinct types of cucumber grown today were known at least 400 years ago. Present forms range from thick, stubby little fruits, three to four inches long, up to the great English greenhouse varieties that often reach a length of nearly two feet.