VegetableChard
Lucullus Swiss Chard
Lucullus Swiss Chard is a crisp, vibrant green leafy vegetable with distinctive white stems that mature in just 45 days, making it one of the fastest chard varieties to reach the table. The leaves are large and deeply textured, growing on an upright plant that reaches 18-24 inches tall and thrives in hardiness zones 3-10. This variety earned its reputation by combining exceptional flavor with reliable productivity, delivering mild, sweet leaves that work beautifully raw in salads or steamed as a side dish. Its frost tolerance means you can stretch your harvest season well into cool weather, and it adapts equally well to garden beds or containers.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
18
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
The white stems of Lucullus chard are notably crunchy and tender, with a flavor profile that leans mild and slightly sweet compared to other chard varieties. Unlike darker-stemmed chards that can carry stronger, more bitter notes, these pale stems pair beautifully with tender dark green leaves that taste faintly like spinach. Heat tolerance is a real strength here; this variety keeps producing through summer warmth when many greens bolt or become tough. The plant is remarkably prolific, rewarding compact spacing with continuous leaf development throughout the season.
Common Uses
Lucullus chard shines in raw preparations where its mild flavor and tender texture are showcased. The white stems and leaves work together in salads, offering both visual contrast and varied textural interest. Both the stems and leaves excel when steamed or lightly sautéed as a side dish, and the leaves alone substitute beautifully for spinach in cooked applications where a subtler bitterness is preferred.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors when soil temperatures reach 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit, typically 2-3 weeks before the last spring frost. Sow seeds at 1/4 inch depth and thin seedlings to 18 inches apart once they develop their first true leaves.
Harvesting
Lucullus chard reaches harvestable size in approximately 45 days from direct sowing, though some sources indicate the window extends to 59 days depending on conditions. Begin harvesting outer leaves once they reach full size, snapping or cutting them at the base where they meet the white stem. Younger inner leaves can be harvested continuously for salads, or wait until the entire plant is established to harvest larger stems and leaves together. The plant continues producing new leaves from the center throughout the season, so regular harvesting encourages further growth rather than limiting it.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
beta vulgaris subsp vulgaris
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Beta
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)