Mendel had many years of plant breeding experience.
As a result, he selected the garden pea because it grew
well in small gardens, produced a large number of
seeds, and was easily pollinated. Pea plants are selfpollinating
because the anthers (male, pollen producer)
and the stigma (female, receives pollen) are enclosed in
the same flower. This selfing produces strains of
pea plants that are identical for many generations,
called true-breeding.