Best Brassicas for Beginners
65 brassica varieties well-suited for beginner gardeners. Forgiving varieties that produce even if you make mistakes.
Amazing
Medium-size plants with domed, solid curds and self-blanching, upright wrapper leaves when well fed. Tolerant to both heat and cold stress.
Attis
Firm, smooth and very high-quality medium-sized sprouts. Suitable for late-season harvest.
Beas
The first white kohlrabi. Beas is early and incredibly uniform. A real beauty with sweet, mild flavor and creamy internal color. Named for the Beas River in Northern India, where it was bred.
Bishop
For summer and fall crops. Bishop has well-wrapped heads, excellent vigor, and wide adaptability.
Black Magic Kale
Black Magic is a well-maintained selection of Toscano kale with long, narrow leaves for attractive and tall, straight bunches. Dark blue-green leaves with beautiful savoy. Lacinato or "dinosaur" type kale.
Bok Choy 'Joi Choi'
An All-America Selections winner that produces beautiful, uniform heads with crisp white stems and dark green leaves. This hybrid variety is slow to bolt and performs exceptionally well in both spring and fall gardens. Joi Choi's tender texture and mild flavor make it perfect for both raw and cooked applications.
Cabbage 'Red Express'
A compact, early-maturing hybrid that produces perfectly round, deep red-purple heads in just 76 days. This space-saving variety is ideal for small gardens and containers while delivering the crisp texture and peppery-sweet flavor that makes red cabbage a kitchen favorite. The uniform heads resist splitting and store exceptionally well.
Calabrese Broccoli
The classic Italian heirloom that gave us the broccoli we know today, originating from the Calabria region. This traditional variety produces medium-sized blue-green heads with excellent flavor and reliable side shoot production after the main head is harvested. A must-grow for gardeners seeking authentic Italian flavor and continuous harvests.
Champion Collards
A heat and cold tolerant hybrid collard that produces large, smooth, blue-green leaves perfect for traditional Southern cooking. This variety is exceptionally slow to bolt and continues producing tender leaves through both summer heat and winter cold, making it ideal for year-round harvests in mild climates.
Charbell
Charbell was bred for cleaner, loftier, more colorful baby leaves, but we found it also performs very well at full size. Strong Cercospora resistance and upright habit for a healthy looking bunch. Vigorous plants with good bolt resistance and wide petioles. Unlike traditional magenta chard, Charbell is very bolt resistant. A premium baby leaf variety for its fast growth; brilliant deep magenta stems and veins; and heavy, textured leaves that create loft in salad mixes.
Cheddar
This beautiful, early, orange cauliflower holds well in the field. It becomes an even brighter orange when lightly cooked. Market Cheddar alongside other specialty varieties for an irresistible combination. Brighter orange, but less heat tolerant than Flame Star. Best for fall harvest, but can also be spring sown for a summer harvest.
Citrus
Well-filled heads average 11" tall and 5 1/2-6 lb. Similar to standard Napa types except for the interior color and a distinctive orange ring around the edges of the cut stems. NOTE: Under very rainy conditions, the interior will be less orange. Suitable for cooking, kimchi, salads, and slaws.
Clementine
Our brightest orange cauliflower. Big sturdy plants produce excellent crops, even under less-than-ideal conditions. The earliest maturing orange variety in our trials. For summer and fall harvest.
Collard Greens 'Georgia Southern'
The quintessential Southern collard green variety, prized for its large, blue-green leaves that become sweet and tender after cooking. This heat-tolerant heirloom thrives in hot summers when other greens bolt, and actually improves in flavor after frost. A must-have for traditional Southern cooking and an excellent source of nutrition for the home garden year-round.
Contender Green Beans
A reliable bush bean that's perfect for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. This hardy variety produces abundant yields of tender, stringless pods even in cool weather conditions. Contender's compact growth habit and disease resistance make it an excellent choice for home gardens with limited space.
Denali
Heads are large, heavy, and self-wrapping. Good heat and humidity tolerances make Denali an excellent choice for summer sowings for fall harvest in Eastern conditions. Good for fall and winter in mild climates. Extensive root system makes it a good choice for plantings in fields with below-average fertility. Good for fresh market or florets. Widely adapted.
Detroit Dark Red
A classic heirloom cabbage prized for its deep burgundy-red color and exceptional storage capabilities. This reliable variety produces dense, round heads with crisp texture and sweet flavor that intensifies after light frosts. Perfect for both fresh eating and traditional fermented preparations like sauerkraut.
Dinosaur Kale
Dinosaur Kale is a heirloom Brassica featuring distinctive bumpy, deeply textured dark green leaves that resemble dinosaur skin—the source of its charming name. Maturing in 125 days under full sun, this variety stands out for its remarkably sweet, nutty flavor with significantly less bitterness than curly kale varieties, making it exceptionally palatable both raw and cooked. The tender leaves are ideal for salads, smoothies, and sautéed dishes. Thriving in rich, well-drained soil amended with organic matter, Dinosaur Kale is an easy-to-grow variety perfect for both beginners and experienced gardeners.
Divino
Firm, uniform, and attractive sprouts hold well on the stalk for whole-stalk harvest. Medium-size sprouts. For late-season harvest.
Dwarf Blue Curled Kale
A compact heirloom kale variety dating back to the 1860s, prized for its intensely curled blue-green leaves and sweet flavor that improves with frost. This space-saving variety is perfect for small gardens and containers while still providing abundant harvests of tender, flavorful leaves. The attractive, heavily ruffled foliage also makes it an excellent ornamental edible.
EarliSnow
Performs well in both spring and fall trials. Earlier, more consistent, and more dependable than Snow Crown. Medium-size plant with an average wrap. Widely adapted.
Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage
A treasured heirloom dating back to the 1840s, this variety produces compact, conical heads that are perfect for small gardens and early harvests. Known for its sweet, tender leaves and reliable performance, it's an excellent choice for gardeners wanting to try a piece of American agricultural history. The pointed heads are distinctively attractive and space-efficient.
Fioretto 70
Most reliable sprouting cauliflower in our trials. The sweet and tender, light green stems with white florets are ideal for light cooking or serving raw for dipping. Eye-catching when paired with sprouting broccoli. Market heads whole, or cut and bunched. Stems will continue to elongate once heads form. Harvest anytime up to about 8" tall. NOTE: This variety can be difficult to grow. Requires moderate heat, but excess heat can result in purpling and uneven curds. Recommended temperature range: 60-80°F during head formation. We suggest trialing before implementing on a larger scale.
Flame Star
Flame Star performs very well in both spring and fall trials. Compared to Clementine and Cheddar, Flame Star is paler in color and more tolerant to heat and stress. Pastel-orange heads on medium-large plants.
Gladius
Blue-green sprouts are uniform in size and color and hold well on their stalks. Plants resist lodging. Medium-small sprouts. For early and mid-fall harvest.
Golden Acre Cabbage
A compact, early-maturing cabbage that's perfect for small gardens and beginning gardeners seeking reliable results. This variety produces perfectly round, solid heads with sweet, crisp leaves and has the advantage of maturing quickly without taking up excessive garden space. An excellent choice for succession planting and container growing.
Graffiti
Graffiti's brilliant purple heads are a great draw at farm stands and excellent for CSAs and restaurants. The colorful florets are attractive served raw with dip or as a cooked vegetable. Graffiti produces a true cauliflower head on large plants. Best for fall harvest, but can also be sown in spring.
Green Goliath Broccoli
A hybrid powerhouse that produces massive 6-8 inch heads on sturdy plants that tower over other broccoli varieties. Green Goliath lives up to its name with exceptional heat tolerance and the ability to produce substantial side shoots after the main head is harvested, extending your harvest season significantly.
Haku
Very good performance along the Eastern Seaboard, as well as in Arizona and California. Heads avg. 11" tall and 5 1/2-6 lb. Our most heat tolerant, tipburn tolerant, and adaptable variety.
Kale 'Winterbor F1'
The ultimate winter kale that actually improves in flavor after frost exposure, becoming sweeter and more tender. This vigorous hybrid produces masses of deeply curled, blue-green leaves that can withstand temperatures down to 10°F while continuing to grow. It's the go-to variety for gardeners wanting fresh greens throughout winter.
Kohlrabi 'Early White Vienna'
This unique vegetable produces crisp, sweet bulbs that taste like a cross between cabbage and turnip, with a delightful apple-like crunch. The pale green bulbs are best harvested young and tender, offering a refreshing addition to salads or excellent roasted as a side dish. Easy to grow and fast-maturing, this heirloom variety is perfect for gardeners wanting to try something new and delicious.
Kolibri
3" bulbs with uniform deep purple skin and nearly fiberless, crisp, white flesh.
Kossak
Kossak is a hybrid brassica variety prized for its tender, sweet flavor and mild taste profile. This reliable variety reaches maturity in approximately 80 days, making it ideal for mid-season gardening. Known for its excellent eating quality, Kossak produces heads with a delicious, pleasant flavor that sets it apart from coarser cabbage varieties. It thrives in well-drained, fertile soil under full sun to partial shade conditions. Best suited for gardeners seeking an easy-to-grow brassica with superior culinary qualities and dependable performance.
Lacinato Kale
Also known as 'Dinosaur Kale' or 'Tuscan Kale', this Italian heirloom features distinctive dark blue-green leaves with a pebbled texture resembling reptilian skin. The narrow, strap-like leaves have a sweeter, more tender flavor than curly kale and become incredibly sweet after frost exposure. An absolute must-have for the health-conscious gardener seeking both nutrition and gourmet flavor.
Lavender
Attractive bright purple florets make Lavender a great choice for dipping platters. Stems are a beautiful medium-purple in fall, paler in spring. Compared to Graffiti, heads are a much brighter violet-purple and have a slightly larger dome. Performs best for fall crops but may also be grown successfully for summer crops.
Minuet
9" tall heads with dark green outer leaves and an attractive yellow interior. Light, sweet taste. Space 12" apart for high yields of upright, dense heads. Slow to bolt. Tolerant to bottom rot and black speck.
Mizuna
Mizuna is a Japanese mustard green featuring delicate, feathery leaves with a lacy appearance that resemble fine parsley. This heirloom brassica matures quickly in 21-45 days, making it ideal for succession planting. Unlike assertive mustard greens, mizuna offers a mild, slightly peppery flavor with a fresh, clean taste that adds subtle complexity to salads and Asian dishes. The tender leaves are less fibrous than standard mustard varieties, allowing them to be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Mizuna thrives in cool seasons and tolerates partial shade, making it versatile for various growing conditions.
Mustard Greens 'Southern Giant Curled'
A beloved heirloom variety that's been a Southern garden staple for over 100 years, producing massive yields of deeply frilled, bright green leaves. This heat-tolerant variety grows vigorously in conditions that would stress other greens, making it perfect for extending the harvest season. The young leaves are mild enough for salads, while mature leaves develop the characteristic peppery bite that makes them perfect for traditional Southern cooking.
Napa Cabbage 'Michihili'
This classic Chinese cabbage produces tall, cylindrical heads with tender, sweet leaves perfect for Asian cuisine and fresh salads. The pale green leaves have crisp white ribs and a delicate flavor that's much milder than regular cabbage. Fast-growing and heat-tolerant, 'Michihili' is ideal for gardeners wanting to add authentic Asian vegetables to their garden repertoire.
Osaka Purple Mustard
A stunning Japanese mustard green with deep purple leaves and bright green stems that creates an eye-catching contrast in any garden bed or salad bowl. This fast-growing beauty offers a mild mustard flavor when young that intensifies as leaves mature, giving you versatility from baby greens to cooking greens.
Paxton
An excellent choice for summer and fall-harvested crops, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and the Northeast. Large well-domed, attractive heads that are self-wrapping and do not need to be tied.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a heirloom Brassica cabbage variety prized for its distinctive pale green coloring and tender, crinkled leaves. Reaching maturity in approximately 60 days, this early-season cultivar offers a notably mild cabbage flavor with a crisp, delicate texture that makes it exceptionally versatile. The leaves are sweeter and more tender than traditional varieties, making Peppermint cabbage ideal for fresh, raw applications such as slaws and salads, while remaining excellent for light cooking. This easy-to-grow variety thrives in full sun with well-drained, fertile soil and is particularly valued by home gardeners seeking a refined cabbage experience.
Puntoverde
Attractive, high-quality heads for summer or fall harvest. Produces excellent fall crops and, unlike other Romanesco types, produces very good summer crops in areas without extreme summer heat. Also suitable for winter or early spring production in areas with mild winters. Strong, rugged plants. Outperforms typical romanesco types under stressful weather conditions.
Purple Moon
Early maturing purple cauliflower. Very attractive medium-dark, purple heads. Our best-performing purple variety in warm weather and also makes an excellent fall crop. Widely adapted.
Purple Top Turnip
Purple Top Turnip is a classic heirloom variety featuring distinctive purple-tinged shoulders that fade to white at the base, creating an attractive two-tone appearance. These small to medium roots mature in just 37 days, making them quick from seed to harvest. The mild, sweet flesh develops additional complexity after frost, becoming noticeably sweeter. Young roots offer a subtle peppery bite, while mature roots are tender and suitable for roasting, mashing, or raw consumption. The purple coloring is both ornamental and traditional, making this an excellent choice for gardeners seeking reliable, flavorful turnips with minimal fuss.
Purple Vienna Kohlrabi
An eye-catching heirloom kohlrabi with striking purple-red skin and crisp white interior that tastes like a cross between cabbage and turnip. This unique vegetable is perfect for gardeners wanting to try something different, and it's surprisingly easy to grow with a sweet, mild flavor when harvested young.
Quickstar
Very uniform in maturity with exceptional earliness and good flavor. Excellent yields.
Radish 'Daikon 'Miyashige'
A premium Japanese daikon variety prized for its exceptionally sweet, crisp flesh and smooth white skin. These impressively large roots can reach 14-18 inches long while maintaining perfect tenderness throughout. This variety is particularly valued for its ability to stay mild and juicy even when large, making it perfect for fresh eating and traditional Asian preparations.
Red Acre Cabbage
An early-maturing red cabbage that forms compact, baseball-sized heads perfect for small families and succession planting. This reliable variety produces gorgeous deep purple-red heads that hold their color beautifully when cooked and adds stunning visual appeal to any garden or plate.
Red Giant Mustard
A stunning Asian green with large, bronze-red leaves that add dramatic color to both the garden and the dinner plate. This vigorous heirloom variety provides continuous harvests of spicy, peppery leaves that mellow when cooked. Red Giant's bold appearance and robust flavor make it a favorite among adventurous gardeners and chefs.
Red Russian Kale
Stems are purple; leaves are flat and toothed with purple veins. Mature plants are medium-tall and leaves are tender compared to other kales. For salads and light cooking. Sized seed. Also available in organic seed.
Red Trumpet
Tall, fancy, vibrant red heads avg. 11-12" tall by 3-3 1/2" wide. Good for salads, slaws, and attractive red kimchi. Similar color but much more slender than Merlot. NOTE: There are 4-5% green Napa-type off-types in this variety.
Ruby Red or Rhubarb Chard
Candy-apple red stems and bronze to dark green, red-veined leaves. Moderate bolt tolerance. NOTE: Young Ruby Red plants may go to seed if exposed to sustained night temperatures in the low 50s; time sowings to avoid these conditions. Decorticated (rubbed), sized seeds.
Silvia
Sprouts are medium-large, round, and very dense. The plants are medium-tall, upright, and resist lodging. Similar to Dagan, but a few days later and with the added benefit of intermediate resistance to black rot.
Snow Crown
This hybrid shows unusual seedling vigor. Good quality, medium-size heads whether harvested in summer or fall. Good tolerance to moderate fall frost (25-32°F/-4-0°C). AAS Winner. NOTE: When grown under fertility or moisture stress all cauliflower, but particularly Snow Crown, can show a purplish coloration on the undersides of the heads. Unsized seed.
Song TJS-65
Green-stem cauliflower is popular in Asia, where it is commonly grown. Sweeter and more tender than standard white-stemmed varieties, and with longer stems that are exceptional for dipping. Kitchen prep work is quick, as a few knife strokes will cut most of the florets from the heads. Typically harvested after florets have elongated and curds have started to separate, though harvesting at the same stage as standard types is acceptable. Song TJS-65 performs better in hot weather and below-average fertility than standard types. Also known as sweet stem, soft curd, or loose curd cauliflower.
Spring Raab
The most versatile broccoli raab variety for growing throughout the season - especially for spring and summer harvest, and overwintering in mild climates. Large plants mature over a 1-2 week period. Large, tender, abundant leaves borne on thin stems with delicate buds.
Synergy
Large, sturdy plants produce big, well-domed heads. Performs exceptionally well in fall trials and is also suitable for spring production.
Tatsoi
Tatsoi is a compact Asian brassica featuring glossy, dark green spoon-shaped leaves arranged in a dense rosette, typically reaching 4-6 inches tall. Ready to harvest in 40-50 days, this heirloom variety offers a mild mustard flavor balanced with subtle sweetness and tender, succulent texture. Its small, self-contained growth habit makes it ideal for succession planting and container cultivation. Tatsoi works exceptionally well in stir-fries, salads, and Asian cuisine, where its delicate leaves and stems can be used whole.
Terek
The best all-around kohlrabi we've found. Remarkable uniformity, texture, and flavor even past typical market size. Exceptionally sweet and mild. Holds a long time in the field without getting woody. Small petiole attachment makes for easier stripping and peeling. Terek's compact plant allows for tighter spacing and produces higher marketable yields. High quality up to 6" in diameter.
Tokyo Bekana
This one-of-a-kind blonde leaf with ruffled texture adds loft and a pop of color to salad mixes. A non-heading Chinese cabbage that has buttery leaves with a crunchy rib and mild flavor. At full size, softly curled leaves on narrow, white petioles can be sold as bunched greens. Thin to 4-8" for full-size heads for bunching. Also available in organic seed.
Twister
The big, heavy, well-domed heads have large wrapper leaves that protect them from the sun, resulting in excellent color and head quality. Twister performs well in summer and fall in the Northeast and Midwest, from late June through late October in Coastal California, and in desert areas in the winter. A great complement to Mardi.
Vates Dwarf Blue Curled Kale
A compact, cold-hardy kale variety that was specifically bred for both home gardens and commercial production, winning an AAS award for its reliability. The tightly curled, blue-green leaves pack incredible nutrition into a space-saving plant that actually improves in flavor after frost touches the leaves.
Vitaverde
Big, heavy, green heads mature early on large plants. Can be grown for traditional harvest in fall, but is also suitable for summer production in areas with moderate heat, and winter production in mild areas.
Winterbor Kale
Plants are tall, with excellent yield and good cold hardiness. The ruffled blue-green leaves have an attractive curl. Vigorous, productive plants.
Why These Brassicas Work for Beginners
New to gardening? These varieties are the most forgiving — tolerant of irregular watering, less prone to pests and disease, and quick to produce visible results. Start here to build confidence before attempting more advanced crops.