A true Italian heirloom variety, producing beautiful lime-green heads with stunning whorls, which form a fractal pattern. Although commonly called a broccoli it is actually a cauliflower.It’s unusual shape makes a good conversation point at dinner parties, and a New York food critic once even called it:“an alien vegetable from outer space”. It is frost hardy and grows well in cooler areas, may not do well in the warmer tropics. Plants grows taller and wider than other broccoli and cauliflowers.

Other Names: Broccolo Romanesco or CavoloRomaneco (Italy), Pyramid caulifloweror Pyramidenblumenkohl(German), Broccoflower (USA)

Romanesco originated in the Tuscany region of Romanesco, and botanists have traced is origins back to selective breeding by 15th Century Italian farmers. The strikingly beautiful florets is a very good indication of how genetically bred vegetables can produce within a single species.

Romanesco tastes like cauliflower with a subtle broccoli flavour when raw. Once cooked, the soft texture and pleasantly sweet nutty taste emerges, which makes it a perfect choice for soups stews and pasta’s. You can eat the florets and young leaves raw in salad, but the mature leaves must be cooked otherwise they are very bitter.

Romanesco prefers well prepared soil with lots of organic matter, because it is a heavy feeder. Ground must be kept moist as a lack of water can cause the formation of small heads. Protect the plants from frost to harvest all winter. Harvest the heads while they are still compact and tight before flowering. Plants can be pulled after harvesting as Romanesco almost never forms new side shoots like broccoli.

About 84-112 days to maturity

Coastal Areas:            Dec-Mar

Inland Areas:               Nov-Mar

Subtropical Areas:           Jan-Mar

Standard packet contains approx. 200 seeds

Petite packet contains approx. 70 seeds