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Annual Biennial

Apium graveolens var. dulce 'Loretta'

celery 'Loretta'

A biennial usually grown as an annual, with large, shiny, bright green, divided foliage and pale green to white leaf-stems eaten as celery. It is a vigorous cultivar producing good crops of smooth, thick, fleshy stems that are sweet and crunchy

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1 year

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Poorly–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or 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)

Botanical details

Family: Apiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: Harmful to skin with sunlight. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Apium can be annual, biennial or perennial herbaceous plants, with leaves divided into three leaflets, or pinnate; in summer, tiny white flowers are borne in umbels
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Sow seed in spring in containers, pot on when large enough to handle then plant out in late spring or early summer. Self-blanching varieties are best planted in a block so they shade each other to aid blanching. Keep plants moist at all times and harvest from late summer to mid-autumn. See celery cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to celery leaf spot

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