Brassica oleracea (Italica Group) 'Cardinal'

RHS Plant Profile
broccoli (purple sprouting) 'Cardinal'

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Brassica oleracea (Italica Group) 'Cardinal'?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
broccoli (purple sprouting) 'Cardinal' Michael John Day
Award of Garden Merit
Annual Biennial
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
1 Suppliers

Purple-sprouting broccoli to 60cm tall producing medium to large dark purple spears ready to harvest from spring into early summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1 year
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Brassicaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Genus
Brassicas can be annual, biennial or perennial plants, most are upright with alternate, often glaucous leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped, yellow or white flowers. The genus includes a number of species bred to produce food crops, such as cabbages, turnips, mustards and oilseed rape, as well as others grown for their ornamental value
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun or very light shade. Where possible, avoid growing brassicas in the same soil year on year, to prevent the build up of soil-borne diseases. See broccoli cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants

Pruning

Harvest when heads are well formed and tight, before flowers begin to open

Pests

May be susceptible to cabbage root fly, caterpillars, cabbage whitefly and mealy cabbage aphid

Diseases

May be susceptible to club root, brassica downy mildew, brassica white blister and powdery mildews