Are you thinking about growing your own heirloom broccoli this year? I say why not! Long gone are the olden days of forcing yourself (or your kids) to choke down bland, unseasoned boiled broccoli, right? Right? Mushy broccoli is out – savory, perfectly seasoned roasted broccoli is IN! Broccoli is just such a versatile vegetable, and there are so many ways to enjoy it that I bet there is a recipe out there for everyone, even those self-proclaimed broccoli haters!
Growing your own broccoli is a great decision, not only because producing your own food is a step along the way to self-sufficiency, but also because you can choose from some wonderful heirloom broccoli varieties that have been around for hundreds of years, mostly originating from the Mediterranean, particularly around Italy. There are so many benefits of growing heirloom fruits and vegetables, and broccoli is no exception. Especially if you choose to grow organically, you can feel confident about feeding yourself and your family, and you can keep a little piece of history alive in your garden.
In this article, we go through the 10 best heirloom broccoli varieties to grow in your garden. There are cold tolerant-broccoli varieties, slow-bolting broccoli varieties, and more. Come check it out and pick out a couple of your favorites!
How to Grow Heirloom Broccoli
Broccoli is a cool weather crop and is sensitive to excessive heat, which can make it bolt and become bitter and woody. This makes it a bit tricky to grow sometimes, since you need to find the best window of time to allow it to mature, usually between 60-90 days, in temperatures between 40 to 80°F (about 5 to 25°C). There are some varieties that are more frost tolerant and some that are more heat tolerant, though, so make sure to check out my list below of the best heirloom broccoli to suit your area best.
- For spring planting, it’s best to start broccoli seedlings indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date and transplant outside once the threat of frost has passed.
- For fall planting, which is better for hot climates, sow seeds outside about 85-100 days before your first fall frost and water regularly so the soil doesn’t dry out.
For more tips on how to grow broccoli, check out this really helpful article from The Farmer’s Almanac on how to grow broccoli from seed!
How to Harvest Heirloom Broccoli
1. Harvest main flower head before buds start to bloom
Once the main broccoli head stops getting bigger, you will know it is almost time to harvest. It is ready for harvesting when it is still all green with small, dense bud formation. If your broccoli head starts to turn yellow or the buds start opening up, harvest it right away! Cut the main head and stalk with a sharp, clean knife or sterilized pruning shears close to the base of the leaves, leaving the smaller side shoots to continue growing.
2. Let the side shoots grow after harvesting main flower head
Did you know that you can get multiple harvests of broccoli from one plant? At the base of the main stalk, you should see small side shoots growing out. While they won’t grow as big as the main floret, once you do your first harvest, leave the plant to keep growing the side shoots and harvest them when they grow a little bigger!
3. Use the stalks
Remember to use the stalks as well! If you harvest when the broccoli is still tender, the stalk won’t be so woody. It is just as good as the flower head, and it is juicy and delicious either sauteed up in a stir fry or blended into broccoli soup. You can also grate it and add it like you would shredded cabbage in things like egg rolls and coleslaws!
4. Don’t forget about the greens
Broccoli, being part of the brassica family, has edible leaves, just like other cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale, collard greens, and turnips. When harvesting, take a few leaves but leave some on the broccoli plant so that it can continue photosynthesizing and growing the florets, and enjoy them like you would kale, mustard greens or collard greens.
Broccoli vs. Rapini: What’s the Difference?
You’ve probably heard of rapini or (also known as broccoli rabe or broccoli raab), but do you know what the difference is between broccoli and rapini?
At first glance, you might think broccoli and rapini seem like they are closely related because of how similar the flower heads look, but did you know that rapini is closer to a turnip than it is to broccoli?
Broccoli is part of the Brassica oleracea family, which also includes cabbage, kale, collards and cauliflower. It forms a main flower head, sometimes several, with thick stalks and smaller side shoots. It has a mild and slightly sweet flavor, which makes it very versatile for all kinds of dishes.
Rapini, on the other hand, comes from the Brassica rapa family, which also includes turnips, bok choy and field mustard. Instead of forming a large, central flower head, rapini produces small, leafy clusters of buds with slender stems. It has more of a bolder and sometime bitter flavor that mellows out when cooked. Rapini is a staple in Italian and Mediterranean cooking and is perfect for pairing with garlic, olive oil and pasta. Check out this Italian-inspired recipe for lemon rapini pasta!
Broccoli and rapini grow quite differently in the garden, too. Broccoli prefers cool, steady temperatures and can take up to 90 days to mature, while rapini is more tolerant of fluctuating temperatures and matures as quickly as 35-45 days. In fact, it is part of my list of fast growing vegetables for beginners – check it out for more ideas!
Top 10 Heirloom Broccoli
1. Calabrese
Calabrese is one of the oldest and most well-known heirloom broccoli varieties out there. It originated in the Calabria region of Italy dating all the way back to at least the 1800s!
Calabrese (pronounced “ka-luh-BRAY-zee”) is a sprouting broccoli variety with blue-green heads and multiple, smaller side shoots. After you harvest the main head, the side shoots with keep producing so you can get multiple harvests from one plant.
Calabrese comes in its standard blue-green color variation, but there are also other variations of this heirloom broccoli such as Green Sprouting, which has improved frost tolerance.
Days to Maturity: 60-90
“Green Sprouting” Calabrese broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
2. Waltham 29
Waltham 29 is a cold-hardy heirloom broccoli variety, which makes it ideal for Canadian gardeners and those in cooler climates. It is also a very good variety for fall harvesting. The leaves are a darker blue-green color and the flower head is medium sized with numerous side shoots that can be harvested if left to grow.
I would consider this one of the best cold-hardy broccoli varieties to grow in your garden.
Days to Maturity: 80-90
Waltham 29 broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
3. Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan)
Known by many names, including gai lan, kai-lan, kailaan and Chinese broccoli, this heirloom broccoli variety is a little bit different than the traditional Italian varieties you normally come across. It kind of resembles rapini or asparagus, with the whole stalk, including the leaves, being harvested and prepared together as one. The flavor is a little more bitter and peppery (in a good way) than traditional broccoli, which is delicious stir-fried with garlic and sesame oil or prepared with a savory Chinese-style sauce.
Check out this delicious recipe for Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce!
Days to Maturity: 60-70
Chinese broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
4. Di Cicco
Di Cicco, sometimes known as De Cicco and Broccoli De Cicco, is another traditional Italian heirloom variety, and this one is known for having a larger yield of side shoots. Instead of having one very large main head and a few smaller side shoots, Di Cicco broccoli has several smaller main florets plus a good amount of side shoots that will grow larger once you harvest the main ones. This variety also has some frost resistance and does well with both spring and fall planting.
Days to Maturity: 50-70
Di Cicco broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
5. Broccoli Rabe aka Rapini – “Spring Rapini”
While not technically in the same classification as true broccoli (see my comparison above), heirloom rapini, or broccoli rabe, is a great addition to your garden. Rapini is actually a fast-growing vegetable, and the Spring Rapini variety is an excellent variety to grow.
Days to Maturity: 40-60
Spring Rapini seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
6. Romanesco
If you want something really unique looking, try growing this Romanesco variety! It is technically a type of cauliflower called a “broccoflower”, so it is kind of a mix between broccoli and cauliflower. My favorite part about the Romanesco variety is its mesmerizing fractal pattern, known mathematically as the Fibonacci sequence or the “golden ratio”, it grows in. How amazing and beautiful is it to see this pattern occur in nature so often!
This variety takes a little longer to mature, since it is a bit different than regular broccoli, and the plants get quite large, up to two feet wide, so make sure you give them lots of space. Because of the longer growing time, I would recommend planting these seeds mid to late summer for a fall crop, but if you start indoors and plant out in the spring, that would be perfectly fine as well.
Days to Maturity: 75 to 100
Romanesco broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
7. Early Purple Sprouting
This heirloom broccoli variety is best for those in warm climates, as it is a late winter to early spring-sprouting broccoli and needs 6 weeks of 50°F (10°C) to properly form florets. Because it is usually planted in the fall and overwintered, it is best grown in USDA hardiness zones 6 and up. Early Purple Sprouting broccoli has numerous smaller purple flower heads rather than one big one. I think this is a very unique variety of heirloom broccoli, and I would grow it if I could!
Days to Maturity: 120+ if overwintered, 60+ days if planted in summer for a fall harvest.
Early Purple Sprouting broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
8. Broccoli Rabe aka Rapini – “Sorrento”
Another one of my favorite varieties of rapini is Sorrento. This heirloom rapini variety matures a little bit faster than Spring Rapini, but both are fast-growing vegetables. I grow this variety in my garden, and it does well for both spring planting and fall planting, depending on your climate.
I know this might sound a bit silly, but I actually love planting a row of rapini and just leaving it and letting it go to flower. It attracts SO many pollinators you wouldn’t believe, and it looks so beautiful with its tall stalks and bright yellow flowers! It looks kind of like canola or field mustard, which makes total sense because they are all in the same family! I’d totally recommend doing this if you have the space in your garden and want to attract lots of beneficial insects in a bit of a unique way.
Plus, although I haven’t tried it myself just yet, the flowers themselves are edible and would make a great edible garnish to your dishes, so it’s really a win-win for you and the local pollinators!
Days to Maturity: 35-50
Sorrento rapini seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
9. Ramoso Santana
This heirloom broccoli variety is a little less well known, but if you can get your hands on these seeds, it is a great Mediterranean heirloom variety to enjoy in your garden for generations. It is slow to bolt, which is a big plus for those hot summer days, and it matures relatively quickly. Just like other broccoli varieties, you can keep the plant growing after harvesting the main flower head to harvest the side shoots later on.
Days to Maturity: 45-65
Ramoso Santana broccoli seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
10. Broccoli Rabe aka Rapini – “Early Fall”
Just like the name says, this heirloom rapini variety does best when planted in the early fall, as it prefers cooler weather and shorter days. However, you can still plant in the spring for an early summer harvest before the days get too long and too hot. This is a variety that bolts quickly, which is why it is best to aim for either spring or fall harvests, since hot weather triggers bolting.
If you are looking to plant some fall-harvest vegetables, this would be an excellent choice. And, like all rapini, it is a relatively fast-growing vegetable, so you don’t have to wait too long to enjoy your bounty.
Days to Maturity: 55-60
Early Fall rapini seeds are available at True Leaf Market.
Final Thoughts
There you have it – my top 10 heirloom broccoli varieties to grow in your garden. There are all kinds of different varieties to choose from, whether you prefer the simple and fast-growing rapini, the classic Italian heirloom broccoli varieties or the mesmerizing, spiraling fractals of the Romanesco broccoflower.
I hope you enjoyed learning about my favorite heirloom varieties, and I hope you found a couple to pique your interest for a great crop of healthy, cruciferous veggies.
Interested in other top 10 heirloom vegetables to grow? Check out my top picks of heirloom cherry tomatoes, heirloom cucumbers, heirloom bush beans, and heirloom carrots as well as many others!
