Practical
Plants

Brassica oleracea botrytis aparagoides

Nine Star Perennial Broccoli

a perennial member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.75 m
Fertility
self fertile
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Immature flowering head - raw or cooked[K]. The plant forms a small cauliflower head in early spring. When this is harvested, another 6 - 12 smaller cauliflowers are produced on sideshoots[K]. The plants are not highly productive, but they are well-flavoured and make an excellent vegetable[K]. Leaves - raw or cooked. They have a mild cabbage flavour and can be harvested all year round, though be careful not to weaken the plant and thereby reduce the yield of flowering heads[K].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Leaves

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An extract of the seeds inactivates the bacteria that causes black rot[4].

Product or use
Fungicide

Environment

Range
A cultivated form of B. oleracea.
Habitat
Not known in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in a seedbed outdoors in April. Transplant into their permanent positions as soon as the plants are large enough and there is space in the garden. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy and will not make such good plants. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them rather deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a position in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[3]. Prefers a heavy soil. Succeeds in any reasonable soil. Succeeds in maritime gardens[3]. Nine star perennial broccoli is occasionally grown for its immature flower head, this is a perennial form of cauliflower that produces one small central cauliflower-like head and a number of smaller broccoli-like spears in early spring. Plants do not often live for more than 3 - 5 years. Grows well with celery and other aromatic plants since these seem to deter insect predations[1][2][4]. Grows badly with beet, tomatoes, onions and strawberries[2][4].

References

  1. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  2. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  4. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

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