Cool Cauliflower Varieties You’ll Want To Grow in 2026
We asked cauliflower breeders which varieties they think will perform best for growers this year. Their picks include cauliflowers with tight wraps that protect against sunburn to harvest window timing being just right and various pack out sizes, ensuring you’ll find something that works for you.
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Absolute (HM.CLAUSE)
An excellent cauliflower variety delivering a well-domed, white curd and reliable performance. A main-season standard in Coastal California. ‘Absolute’ features an upright plant habit with strong leaf wrap for protection. It offers consistent quality and broad adaptability.
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Altitude (HM.Clause)
‘Altitude’ delivers excellent curd quality, weight, and uniformity. Featuring a well-domed head, tight leaf wrap for protection, and strong plant vigor. It offers reliable harvest uniformity and bright, high-quality curds.
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Amethyst (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds)
A beautiful lavender domed-shape fruit. ‘Amethyst’ is known for great performance in the East, and does well in cool-to-warm and warm-to-cool seasons. Matures in 70 days.
https://sakatavegetables.com/vegetable/amethyst/
https://www.ruppseeds.com/vegetables/products/cauliflower/amethyst
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C5063 F1 (Tokita Seed America, Harris Seeds DBA Garden Trends, Inc)
A strong, heat-tolerant variety, ‘C5063 F1’ produces dense, tight heads with small curd on a compact plant that performs well at higher plant populations. Tight inner wrap leaves protect the bright white, high-domed heads. This well adapted variety can be planted in multiple slots; and harvested through the fall in the Northeast. Matures in 75 days.
https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/cauliflower-c5063-f1-seed?variant=52505778618731
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Cheddar (Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
‘Cheddar’ is a novelty hybrid with an attractive, orange curd that contains high levels of beta-carotene. The size, weight and firmness are similar to medium-sized white varieties. Matures in 68 days.
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Clarify (SEEDWAY LLC)
An early main-season variety that is heat tolerant and has the biggest plant in its’ maturity. ‘Clarify’ is one of the few varieties with Club Root resistance, but even if that isn’t a problem, ‘Clarify ‘is well worth trying. Matures in 66 days.
Disease package: CR
https://www.seedway.com/product/clarify-cauliflower-treated-seed/
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Clementine (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Our brightest and most reliable orange cauliflower. Big sturdy plants produce excellent crops, even under less-than-ideal conditions. The earliest maturing orange variety in our trials. ‘Clementine’ is for summer and fall harvest. Matures in 55 days.
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DePurple (Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Harris Seeds DBA Garden Trends, Inc)
Vigorous plants offer good protection to dense, dome-shaped heads. This specialty cauliflower has a beautiful lavender-pink color. ‘DePurple’ matures early, and performs consistently under different environmental conditions. Matures in 68 days.
https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/12763-cauliflower-depurple-f1?variant=39988508983368
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Flamenco (SEEDWAY LLC)
Our favorite variety for fall production, with an excellent wrap and fancy dense heads. Widely adapted, including the southeast in winter. The outer frame leaves are quite long and erect, for added shading from the sun. Matures in 71 days.
https://www.seedway.com/product/flamenco-cauliflower-treated-seed/
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Fujiyama (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
‘Fujiyama’ was bred to produce high-quality, white heads in warm weather. An excellent choice for summer and early, fall harvested crops. The medium-large plant with an average wrap performs particularly well in the Southeast. Matures in 45 days.
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Glendale RZ (Rijk Zwaan)
‘Glendale’ is a hybrid white cauliflower with strong discoloration tolerance for fresh market. It offers a quick and stable growing cycle. It is well suited for high planting densities. ‘Glendale’ delivers a uniform harvest of nicely shaped, dense curds with good self cover. Matures in 75-85 days, (depending on maturity).
Disease package: Hb
https://www.rijkzwaanusa.com/cauliflower/GLENDALE-RZ-F1-prdBO10344-ctgCrops.cauliflower
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Hipster (Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Gowan Seed Company)
‘Hipster’ has an attractive color, nice consistent shape, and compact head. It has excellent firmness and density. This hybrid is widely adapted. Matures in 80 to 85 days.
https://gowanseed.com/products/cauliflower-purple-hybrid-hipster
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Melrose RZ (Rijk Zwaan, Gowan Seed Company)
‘Melrose RZ’ is a quick summer hybrid cauliflower, with good self cover for its’ speed. A vigorous plant. Matures in 65 days.
Disease package: T: Tip Burn
https://gowanseed.com/products/cauliflower-white-hybrid-melrose-rz
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Snow Crown (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
An early maturing variety with a white, semi-dome shape. ‘Snow Crown’ has good uniformity and good taste, both raw, and when cooked. The head weight is approximately 2 pounds. An all America Selection winner. Recommended harvest is early summer and fall. ‘Snow Crown’ is widely adaptable. Matures in 70 days, after transplanting.
Disease package: T: Heat, Cold
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Twister (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
‘Twister’ is a tight, heavy-headed, white cauliflower with a fabulous spiraling internal wrap. It is mid-maturing with very uniform harvest. ‘Twister’ seems to prefer heavier ground, and well adapted to most areas. Matures 75 to 80, from transplant.
https://www.ruppseeds.com/vegetables/products/cauliflower/twister
View all
Absolute (HM.CLAUSE)
Altitude (HM.Clause)
Amethyst (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds)
C5063 F1 (Tokita Seed America, Harris Seeds DBA Garden Trends, Inc)
Cheddar (Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Clarify (SEEDWAY LLC)
Clementine (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
DePurple (Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Harris Seeds DBA Garden Trends, Inc)
Flamenco (SEEDWAY LLC)
Fujiyama (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Glendale RZ (Rijk Zwaan)
Hipster (Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Gowan Seed Company)
Melrose RZ (Rijk Zwaan, Gowan Seed Company)
Snow Crown (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
Twister (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Disease Abbreviation Key:
CR – Club root, caused by fungus, Plasmodiophora brassicae
DM – Downy mildew
PR – Pink root, caused Phoma terrestris
T – Tolerance
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Carol Miller is Editor of American Vegetable Grower. See all author stories here.