Cool Cauliflower Varieties That Should Be On Your Radar in 2024
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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Alcala (SEEDWAY, LLC)
‘Alcala’ has a tight and complete wrap when harvested at a smaller (12 count) size. The high, round, dense heads can get larger, but will need to be tied. This variety has good heat tolerance and widely adapted. Matures in 69 days.
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Brigant RZ (Rijk Zwaan USA)
‘Brigant RZ’ is a vigorous, adaptable and stable hybrid, used for multi-use floret processing and fresh market. The heads are always dense, bright white, and well-wrapped, smooth curd. A flexible harvest period from mid-autumn through the winter into early spring. Matures and can be harvested from 80 to 110 days depending on season.
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Cheddar (Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
A novelty cauliflower with an attractive, orange curd (that contains high levels of beta-carotene). ‘Cheddar’s’ size, weight and firmness are similar to medium-sized, white varieties. Matures in 68 days.
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DePurple F1 (Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Harris Seeds)
Vigorous specialty plants offer good protection to dense, dome-shaped heads. They are a beautiful lavender-pink color. ‘DePurple’ matures early, in 68 days, and performs consistently under different environmental conditions.
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Flamenco F1 (Bejo Seeds Inc., Harris Seeds)
A great cauliflower for late summer and fall production. The strong plant provides good cover to the head. It features, high, bright white, domed heads with dense curds. The exceptional flavor and raw eating quality make ‘Flamenco’ a great choice for fresh market. Matures in 72 days.
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Freedom (Seminis Vegetables Inc., Stokes Seeds Inc.)
‘Freedom’ is a hybrid cauliflower with snow white heads. They are very uniform to harvest. CMS breeding assures less chance of inbreeds and increases overall uniformity. Matures in 66 days.
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Melrose RZ (Rijk Zwaan USA, Gowan Seed Company)
‘Melrose’ is a hybrid cauliflower with a domed, dense head on a large plant. A quick summer variety, and good self cover for its speed. A vigorous plant with tip burn tolerance. Matures in 65 days.
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Moonshine (Enza Zaden)
‘Moonshine’ cauliflower provides a late summer and fall harvest window, for the coastal regions in CA. That’s also when it shows off its’ best plant frame and wrap! This variety strengths are a uniform harvest as well as the days to harvest, 75 to 80.
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Puntoverde (Rijk Zwaan USA, Johnny's Selected Seeds)
‘Puntoverde’ has attractive, high-quality Romanesco heads with green-spiraled curds. It produces excellent fall crops and, unlike other Romanesco types, produces very good summer crops (in areas without extreme summer heat). This variety is suitable for winter or early spring production (in areas with mild winters). It features strong, rugged plants, and outperforms typical Romanesco types under stressful weather conditions. Matures in 78 days.
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Teleno (Enza Zaden)
‘Teleno’ performs especially well in the early winter harvest in the desert southwest. This white cauliflower features a smooth, dense, high-quality head and is very uniformed at harvest. Days to harvest 90 to 110.
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Toledo (SEEDWAY, LLC)
‘Toledo’ is a fantastic new variety for maturing in cool weather. It has a very large wrap and complete inner wrap! ‘Toledo’ has a pure white, heavy head, and excelled uniformity in maturity. Matures in 76 days.
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Twister (Sakata Seed America, Gowan Seed Company, Rupp Seeds)
‘Twister’ stands out with quality and beauty! The dense, heavy, white heads are tight, with good internal wrap. It is mid-maturing with very uniform harvest. This hybrid seems to prefer heavier ground, and flaunts near perfect appearance when grown in slot.
Matures in 75 to 80 days from transplant.
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Whitaker (Rijk Zwaan USA, Johnny's Selected Seeds)
‘Whitaker’ has white rather than the traditional green-spiraled curds. It’s similar to the standard green Romanesco types like ‘Puntoverde’. It’s recommended for summer and fall harvest. A large, sturdy plant, excellent sold alone or with ‘Puntoverde’. NOTE: Under fertility and/or drought stress, heads may show a slight, green tinge. Matures in 80 days.
View all
Alcala (SEEDWAY, LLC)
Brigant RZ (Rijk Zwaan USA)
Cheddar (Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.)
DePurple F1 (Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, Harris Seeds)
Flamenco F1 (Bejo Seeds Inc., Harris Seeds)
Freedom (Seminis Vegetables Inc., Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Melrose RZ (Rijk Zwaan USA, Gowan Seed Company)
Moonshine (Enza Zaden)
Puntoverde (Rijk Zwaan USA, Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Teleno (Enza Zaden)
Toledo (SEEDWAY, LLC)
Twister (Sakata Seed America, Gowan Seed Company, Rupp Seeds)
Whitaker (Rijk Zwaan USA, Johnny's Selected Seeds)
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.