Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Brassica oleracea (Italica Group) 'Purple Sprouting'

vegetable

Purple Sprouting Broccoli is the cold-hardy broccoli grown not for one large central head but for a long, generous succession of slender purple side-shoots, each a miniature broccoli spear on a tender, edible stem. In its traditional form it is sown in late spring or early summer, grows a large frame over the season, overwinters, and then explodes with spears in late winter and early spring when almost nothing else is producing - a celebrated hungry-gap vegetable in Britain. The spears turn green when cooked, with a sweet, nutty flavor many prefer to standard broccoli. It rewards patience with weeks of cut-and-come-again harvests.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Nasturtium: A trap crop that lures aphids and cabbage pests away from the broccoli
• Dill: Its flowers attract parasitic wasps and other predators of cabbage worms
• Garden Sage: The aromatic foliage is a traditional brassica companion thought to deter cabbage pests
• Detroit Dark Red Beet: A non-brassica root crop that uses different soil resources and rotates well alongside

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts. Tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Cabbage worms →

  Green caterpillars from white butterflies - cover with insect netting, hand-pick, and use Bt if needed; especially important on overwintered plants in spring

• Aphids →

  Mealy cabbage aphids hide in the growing tips - blast off with water, squash colonies, and encourage ladybugs

• Flea beetles →

  Cover young plants and keep them growing strongly to outpace shot-hole damage

• Clubroot →

  Lime the soil to near-neutral pH, ensure good drainage, and rotate brassicas on a long cycle to avoid this soilborne disease

🌾 Harvest & storage

Harvest the spears when they are well developed and the buds are still tight, before any yellow flowers open. Cut the central spear first to trigger a flush of side-shoots, then keep cutting every few days - regular harvesting is what keeps the plant producing for weeks. Snap or cut spears about 6 in. long, taking the tender stem and leaves too, since all of it is edible. Cook lightly to keep the color and crunch; the spears are best used fresh but freeze well after a quick blanch.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Purple sprouting broccoli is rich in vitamins C and K, folate, fiber, and the antioxidant compounds (including the purple anthocyanins) common to brassicas, and the tender spears, stems, and leaves are all edible and nutritious. Sweeter and nuttier than standard broccoli, it is steamed, roasted, or stir-fried, and its great value is timing - delivering fresh homegrown greens in late winter and early spring when the garden offers little else.