Heirloom

Bellezia

Diplotaxis tenuifolia

Wikimedia Commons

Harvest

35d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun to partial shade

☀️

Zones

5–9

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

6-24 inches

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct Sow

Harvest

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for Bellezia in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 lettuce →

Zone Map

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Bellezia · Zones 5–9

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing3-4 inches

SoilWell-draining soil enriched with organic matter; slightly alkaline to neutral pH preferred

WaterRegular; keep consistently moist but not waterlogged

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorPungent, spicy-nutty flavor with intense peppery notes; yellow flowers carry the same profile with slightly milder, sweeter edge

ColorDark green with deeply lobed foliage; yellow edible flowers

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

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

Succession Planting

In zone 7, direct sow Bellezia every 14 days starting around March 1 and keep going through early May. Once daytime highs are consistently above 80°F, germination gets spotty and plants bolt fast — the flavor turns sharp and sulfurous in heat, so there's no point pushing through summer. Start again in late August and sow through September; you can harvest into November without much trouble.

Each sowing gives you a harvest window of roughly 35 days before flowering begins. Cutting at the baby-leaf stage — 3 to 4 inches tall — gets you 2 to 3 passes per planting before quality drops. About 3 to 4 feet of row per sowing is enough for most households; stagger by 2 weeks and you won't end up with more arugula than you can use at once.

Complete Growing Guide

Leaves of Bellezia are darker green and more deeply lobed than Sylvetta, with a similar pungent flavor. In addition, the plant is more upright allowing for easier harvest. Organic seed is also available. Utility Patent granted.Edible Flowers: Harvest the yellow flowers as they appear. Sprinkle them over salads or add to vegetable stir-fries. Flavor is spicy and nutty. Popular choice for brightening up salad mixes. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Bellezia is 35 baby; 51 full size to maturity, annual, open pollinated. Disease resistance includes Downy Mildew. Notable features: Cold Tolerant, Hydroponic Performer.

Light: Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day), Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day). Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry. Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: Low. Propagation: Seed. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Bellezia reaches harvest at 35 baby; 51 full size from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

The capsule splits into 2 halves when mature

Color: Brown/Copper. Type: Capsule. Length: < 1 inch. Width: < 1 inch.

Edibility: Can be used both raw and cooked

Storage & Preservation

Harvest Bellezia at 35 days when leaves are tender and before flowering. Store freshly cut greens in a breathable container lined with damp paper towels, kept at 32–40°F with 95% humidity; they'll keep for 5–7 days. For longer preservation, blanch briefly in boiling water for 2–3 minutes, cool immediately in ice water, then freeze in airtight bags for up to eight months. Fermentation works well with this peppery variety—finely chop leaves, massage with 2–3% salt by weight, and pack into jars under brine for 3–5 days at room temperature, then refrigerate. Drying is less common for tender greens but possible; spread thinly on screens in a warm, dark space. Bellezia's mustard-like bite actually intensifies slightly during fermentation, making it an excellent candidate for this preservation method if you enjoy bold, tangy flavors.

History & Origin

Bellezia 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, western Asia and northern Africa

Advantages

+Darker green, deeply lobed leaves offer more visual appeal than Sylvetta
+Upright growth habit makes harvesting significantly easier and faster
+Pungent, spicy-nutty flavor works well in salads and stir-fries
+Yellow edible flowers add unique color and flavor dimension

Considerations

-Fast-growing variety tends to bolt quickly in warm weather
-Peppery intensity may be too strong for mild palate preferences
-Deeply lobed leaves trap soil and require careful washing

Companion Plants

Radishes and chives earn consistent placement near Bellezia. Radishes left to bolt pull aphids off the arugula — they act as a sacrificial trap crop that largely manages itself. Chives stay compact enough at 12 inches that they fit between rows without shading the low Diplotaxis canopy, and their sulfur compounds are thought to disorient aphids before they settle in. French marigolds (Tagetes patula specifically, not the tall African types) are worth tucking at bed edges — their root secretions suppress certain soil nematodes, and the flowers draw in predatory wasps that also pick off cabbage worm eggs.

Fennel is genuinely incompatible here. Its roots release allelopathic compounds that stunt a wide range of neighbors, and arugula is not an exception to that. Broccoli is a more practical conflict than a chemical one — it's a heavy feeder in the same brassica family, competes at the same root depth, and shares disease pressure including downy mildew, which Bellezia carries only intermediate resistance to.

Plant Together

Basil

Repels aphids and whiteflies while potentially improving lettuce flavor

Chives

Deters aphids and other pests with strong scent compounds

Marigold

Repels nematodes and aphids while attracting beneficial insects

Carrots

Different root depths allow efficient space use without competition

Radishes

Quick harvest breaks soil for lettuce roots and deters flea beetles

Garlic

Strong sulfur compounds repel aphids and slugs

Nasturtium

Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles

Parsley

Attracts beneficial insects and has similar water requirements

Keep Apart

Fennel

Produces allelopathic compounds that inhibit lettuce germination and growth

Broccoli

Competes for similar nutrients and space, may shade delicate lettuce

Sunflower

Releases allelopathic chemicals and creates too much shade for lettuce

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

Resistance

Downy Mildew (Intermediate)

Common Pests

Flea beetles, aphids, cabbage worms

Diseases

Downy mildew (intermediate resistance in Bellezia), leaf spot, powdery mildew

Troubleshooting Bellezia

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 direct sowing — stems look pinched or water-soaked at the base

Likely Causes

Damping off — a fungal complex (commonly Pythium or Rhizoctonia solani) that thrives in cool, wet, poorly drained soil
Overwatering or compacted soil that stays waterlogged after germination

What to Do

1.Pull the dead seedlings and check remaining soil moisture — if it's staying soggy, ease off watering and improve drainage before resowing
2.Don't direct sow into cold soil; wait until soil temps are at least 50°F, which reduces Pythium pressure significantly
3.If damping off has hit a bed before, mix a thin layer of coarse sand or perlite into the top inch of soil to improve surface drainage around the stem

Tiny, irregular holes punched across leaves — most visible on young growth — starting a week or two after germination

Likely Causes

Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) — small, jumping, black or bronze beetles that are worst in warm, dry spells
Young direct-sown seedlings are most vulnerable before they reach 4 inches tall

What to Do

1.Cover rows with floating row cover (Agribon-15 or similar) immediately after sowing — flea beetles locate plants by smell and sight, and exclusion outperforms sprays
2.Once plants clear 6 inches and are growing fast, flea beetle damage is mostly cosmetic; you can pull the cover at that point
3.If you skip row cover, kaolin clay (Surround WP) applied every 5–7 days during peak beetle pressure deters feeding without harming beneficial insects

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Bellezia arugula take to grow from seed to harvest?▼

Bellezia reaches harvestable size in 25–30 days, with full maturity and maximum leaf size at 35 days. You can begin the cut-and-come-again harvesting process once plants are 4–6 inches tall, which typically occurs around day 25. With consistent watering and adequate sunlight, germination happens within 7–10 days, so you're looking at roughly 4–5 weeks from direct sow to first harvest.

What's the difference between Bellezia and Sylvetta arugula?▼

Both are pungent Italian arugulas, but Bellezia has darker green, more deeply lobed leaves and a noticeably more upright, compact plant structure. This upright growth makes Bellezia dramatically easier to hand-harvest, whereas Sylvetta sprawls closer to the ground. Bellezia also boasts intermediate downy mildew resistance that Sylvetta lacks. Flavor-wise, they're similar, though Bellezia's intensity is slightly more pronounced.

Can you grow Bellezia arugula in containers?▼

Yes, Bellezia thrives in containers as small as 6–8 inches deep and 10–12 inches wide. Its compact, upright habit makes it ideal for pots on patios, balconies, or windowsills. Use well-draining potting soil enriched with compost, and ensure consistent moisture since containers dry faster than ground beds. Provide 4–6+ hours of sunlight daily. Container growing is particularly valuable in hot climates, as you can move pots to afternoon shade to delay bolting.

What does Bellezia arugula taste like?▼

Bellezia delivers a pungent, spicy-nutty flavor characteristic of true Italian arugulas, with more intensity than mild salad greens. Young leaves offer a cleaner, fresher bite, while mature leaves develop deeper, more complex peppery notes. The ornamental yellow flowers carry the same spicy-nutty profile but with a slightly milder, sweeter edge, making them excellent for brightening salads, pasta, and vegetable stir-fries without overwhelming palates.

Is Bellezia arugula good for beginners?▼

Absolutely. Bellezia is classified as an easy-difficulty variety with minimal requirements: direct sowing, light watering, and no special fertilizing. It's forgiving of slight neglect and produces reliable harvests in 4–5 weeks. Its upright structure and cut-and-come-again harvesting method make it particularly beginner-friendly compared to sprawling arugula varieties. The only challenge is preventing bolting in hot weather—choose a spring or fall planting window in warm climates.

When should I plant Bellezia arugula, and can I grow it year-round?▼

Direct sow Bellezia after the last spring frost, aiming for soil temperatures between 50–70°F. In temperate climates, spring and fall plantings succeed best; succession-sow every 2–3 weeks from March through September for continuous harvests. In mild winter climates (zones 8–10), winter sowing is possible. Avoid summer plantings in hot regions—heat triggers rapid bolting and bitterness. In colder zones (1–6), spring and early-fall crops are optimal.