Final answer:
The crop introduced to British colonists that was most advantageous for European trade was tobacco. Its popularity in Europe led to significant economic gains and influenced colonial expansion for the cultivation of more plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
The native American crop that was introduced to the British colonists and proved to be the most advantageous for European trade was tobacco. Although crops such as maize and potatoes were significant in their own right, becoming staple foods that helped spark a population boom in Europe, it was tobacco that turned into a major cash crop and a boon for European economies. The cultivation of tobacco in the Americas, especially in the Chesapeake colonies, became so important that it shaped economic, social, and geographic expansion in the colonial era. Its introduction to Europeans changed their social habits, as smoking gained popularity and tobacco started to be used for both medicinal and ritual purposes, reflecting its deep roots in native American culture.
While other commodities like sugar were also crucial - with sugar plantations fueling much of the transatlantic slave trade and wars over production areas - and staple crops like maize and potatoes radically changed European diets and agricultural practices, it was tobacco that had a lasting and significant impact on trade relationships between the Americas and Europe.