Brussels Sprouts (Brassica oleracea gemmifera)

Family: Brassicaceae or Cruciferae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Brassica oleracea gemmifera is a BIENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). It is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

flavour when cooked and are a very popular winter vegetable. — Leaf buds - raw or cooked.; Well-grown plants produce an abundance of leaf-buds (looking rather like miniature cabbage heads) along the main stem at the leaf axils.; These can be shredded and eaten raw in salads, though many people find them indigestible when eaten this way.; They have a very nice cabbage flavour when cooked and are a very popular winter vegetable.

Habitat & North American Range

Not known in the wild. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)