Heirloom

Bel Fiore

Cichorium intybus

Wikimedia Commons

This Variegato di Lusia strain shows improved heading and consistent external and internal speckling in our trials. Although some heads will form very early, others will continue maturing over a long, 2-3 week period. Harvest when full but loose, like butterhead lettuce. Bel fiore, or "beautiful flower" in Italian, refers to how the heads can be displayed with centers opened to resemble a flower. Mild radicchio flavor in all seasons.

Harvest

52d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun

☀️

Zones

3–8

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

3-4 feet

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct Sow

Harvest

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for Bel Fiore in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 lettuce →

Zone Map

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Bel Fiore · Zones 3–8

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing12-18 inches

SoilWell-drained, fertile loam with good organic matter

WaterModerate — regular watering

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorMild radicchio flavor with a delicate, slightly bitter taste that remains consistent across seasons.

ColorRed and green variegated

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 1	—	—	June – July	July – September
Zone 2	—	—	May – July	July – September
Zone 11	—	—	January – February	February – December
Zone 12	—	—	January – February	February – December
Zone 13	—	—	January – February	February – December
Zone 3	—	—	May – June	June – October
Zone 4	—	—	April – June	June – October
Zone 5	—	—	April – May	June – November
Zone 6	—	—	April – May	May – November
Zone 7	—	—	March – May	May – November
Zone 8	—	—	March – April	April – December
Zone 9	—	—	February – March	March – December
Zone 10	—	—	January – March	March – December

Succession Planting

Bel Fiore is a radicchio-type chicory with a defined harvest window around day 52 — not a cut-and-come-again green — so staggered sowing is worth the small effort. In zone 7, direct sow every 18–21 days starting around March 1 and run through early May; that spreads your harvest across a 6–8 week window instead of everything tightening heads at the same time. Stop once daytime highs are consistently at 80°F or above — chicory bolts in sustained heat, the heads go loose, and the bitterness tips from pleasant to punishing. Pick back up with a fall sowing in late August, timing for harvest before your first hard frost.

Complete Growing Guide

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky. Soil pH: Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry. Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High, Medium. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Bel Fiore reaches harvest at 52 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

Brown oblong and 5-ribbed achene with blunt ends. The wider end has a bristles across the top.

Color: Brown/Copper, Cream/Tan. Type: Achene.

Edibility: Leaves can be used in salads or cooked to reduce bitter flavor. Roots can be dried and used as a coffee substitute.

Storage & Preservation

Harvest Bel Fiore chicory at 52 days and store immediately in the refrigerator at 32–40°F with 90–95% humidity, ideally in a perforated plastic bag or breathable container to maintain crispness without encouraging rot. Fresh leaves will keep for 7–10 days under these conditions. For longer preservation, blanch whole heads for 3 minutes, cool quickly, and freeze in airtight containers for up to three months—this method works better than raw freezing for maintaining texture in cooked dishes. Drying is also viable; slice thinly, dry at low heat (90–100°F) until brittle, and store in sealed jars away from light. Fermentation suits the tender inner leaves particularly well; pack with salt brine and let sit 2–3 weeks for a tangy preserve. Note that Bel Fiore's characteristically mild, slightly sweet flavor is best preserved by quick chilling immediately after cutting, which halts the enzymatic breakdown that increases bitterness.

History & Origin

Bel Fiore is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: Europe

Advantages

+Beautiful variegated appearance with internal speckling adds visual appeal to salads
+Consistent heading and reliable performance make it dependable for home gardeners
+Long 2-3 week harvest window extends productivity and reduces replanting frequency
+Mild radicchio flavor provides interesting taste variation from standard lettuce varieties
+Ornamental presentation with flower-like opened centers works well for display platters

Considerations

-Staggered maturity means uneven harvesting over extended period complicates planning
-Some heads form too early while others lag, requiring careful monitoring
-Variegato di Lusia genetics may show less vigor than solid-colored radicchio types

Companion Plants

Marigolds — French marigold (Tagetes patula) specifically — have documented nematode-suppressing compounds in their roots and help deter the aphids and flea beetles that hit chicory hardest; plant them within 12 inches for any real effect. Nasturtiums act as a trap crop, drawing aphid colonies onto themselves before populations migrate to your Bel Fiore heads. Garlic and chives work differently: their sulfur compounds disorient soft-bodied insects at close range rather than attracting them away. Skip broccoli as a neighbor — the two compete for the same soil nutrients at the same root depth, and broccoli's allelopathic exudates have been shown to suppress neighboring broadleaf crops. Walnut trees are a hard no; juglone toxicity extends 6–8 feet out from the drip line and will stunt or kill most broadleaf crops planted inside that zone.

Plant Together

Marigolds

Repels nematodes, aphids, and other harmful insects while attracting beneficial pollinators

Nasturtiums

Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles, drawing pests away from lettuce

Garlic

Natural fungicide properties help prevent lettuce diseases and repel various pests

Spinach

Similar growing requirements and can provide beneficial ground cover without competition

Dill

Attracts beneficial insects like lacewings and parasitic wasps that control lettuce pests

Chives

Repels aphids and improves lettuce flavor while providing natural pest deterrent

Carrots

Loosens soil for lettuce roots and doesn't compete for space or nutrients

Radishes

Quick-growing crop that breaks up soil and can be harvested before lettuce needs full space

Keep Apart

Broccoli

Large leaves create too much shade and compete heavily for nutrients and water

Sunflowers

Allelopathic compounds inhibit lettuce germination and growth

Walnut Trees

Produces juglone which is toxic to lettuce and many other vegetables

Nutrition Facts

Protein

0.742g(1%)

Carbs

3.37g(1%)

Fat

0.0738g(0%)

Vitamin K

20.5mcg(17%)

Iron

0.0332mg(0%)

Calcium

14.2mg(1%)

Potassium

139mg(3%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #2346388)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Common Pests

Aphids, slugs, snails, flea beetles

Diseases

Lettuce mosaic virus, damping off, downy mildew

Troubleshooting Bel Fiore

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Seedlings collapse at soil level within the first 7–10 days after planting, sometimes with white fuzzy mold visible on the soil surface

Likely Causes

Damping off — most commonly Pythium or Rhizoctonia solani — a soil-borne fungal complex that thrives in wet, poorly drained conditions
Overwatering or compacted soil that holds moisture around the stem base

What to Do

1.Pull and discard affected seedlings; don't compost them
2.Let the top inch of soil dry slightly between waterings — Bel Fiore needs moderate moisture, not constant wet
3.If you've had damping off in the same bed two years running, start seeds in fresh sterile mix and move to a different spot; NC State Extension's IPM guidance notes that rotating out of a problem bed is more reliable than trying to treat the soil in place

Leaves show mosaic patterning — irregular light and dark green patches — with some leaf distortion or cupping, usually mid-season

Likely Causes

Lettuce mosaic virus (LMV), spread by aphid vectors, especially Myzus persicae (green peach aphid)
Using saved seed from infected plants

What to Do

1.Remove and bag infected plants immediately — there's no cure once a plant has LMV
2.Hit aphid colonies with insecticidal soap spray, focusing on the undersides of leaves where they cluster
3.Only use certified mosaic-free seed; LMV can be seed-transmitted in chicory relatives

Gray-purple fuzzy growth on the undersides of older leaves, with corresponding yellow patches on the upper surface

Likely Causes

Downy mildew (Bremia lactucae) — favored by cool nights below 65°F combined with high humidity or overhead irrigation

What to Do

1.Strip affected leaves and bin them, not the compost pile
2.Switch to drip irrigation or water at the base early in the morning so foliage dries before nightfall
3.Space plants at the full 18-inch end of the recommended range — tight spacing traps humidity right where Bremia lactucae wants it

Ragged, irregular holes chewed in outer leaves overnight, with slime trails visible in the morning

Likely Causes

Slugs and snails — most active in cool, moist weather and in beds with heavy mulch or dense ground-level debris

What to Do

1.Set out shallow traps (tuna cans work fine) filled with cheap beer near the base of plants; empty them every morning
2.Apply a 2–3 inch band of diatomaceous earth around the planting area and reapply after rain
3.Pull mulch back 4–6 inches from the stem zone — slugs need daytime cover, and you can deny them most of it

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Bel Fiore lettuce take to harvest?▼

Bel Fiore typically reaches harvest maturity in about 52 days from planting. However, heads mature unevenly over a 2-3 week period, so some may be ready earlier while others continue developing. This allows for extended harvesting rather than a single picking date.

Is Bel Fiore lettuce good for beginners?▼

Yes, Bel Fiore is an excellent choice for beginners. It's classified as easy to grow and is a reliable heirloom variety. It doesn't require special care or expertise, making it perfect for gardeners just starting out with vegetable growing.

Can you grow Bel Fiore lettuce in containers?▼

While not explicitly stated, Bel Fiore's loose, butterhead-like heading habit suggests it can be grown in containers with adequate space and depth. Container growing requires consistent moisture and good drainage, but is generally feasible for lettuce varieties of this type.

What does Bel Fiore lettuce taste like?▼

Bel Fiore has a mild radicchio flavor that remains consistent across all seasons. The taste is subtle and somewhat slightly bitter, reminiscent of radicchio but much milder. This unique flavor profile sets it apart from standard iceberg or romaine varieties.

Why is it called Bel Fiore?▼

Bel Fiore means 'beautiful flower' in Italian. The name reflects how the heads can be displayed with their centers opened to reveal the inner leaves, creating an attractive flower-like appearance. This presentation makes it as visually appealing as it is delicious.

When should I plant Bel Fiore lettuce?▼

Plant Bel Fiore in cool seasons for best results. As a lettuce variety, it prefers temperatures below 70°F. Direct sow seeds or transplants in spring for early summer harvest, or in late summer for fall harvest. Avoid hot summer months when possible.