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Red Treviso Endive is a classic Italian chicory from Treviso that transforms in cool weather, developing elongated, romaine-like heads with striking deep red leaves and crisp white ribs. This open-pollinated heirloom grows 10 to 18 inches tall and reaches harvest in 90 to 99 days, thriving in garden plots, raised beds, and containers alike. Its tart, pleasantly bitter flavor makes it exceptional for fresh salads, grilling, and braising, while its cool-season preference and frost tolerance extend your growing season well into fall.
Full Sun
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18in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Red Treviso's color transformation is genuinely spectacular: plain green seedlings mature into jewel-toned heads with crisp white ribs that look as striking on the plate as they taste. The elongated, upright growth habit keeps plants tidy and efficient in space, and the combination of cool-weather vigor with frost tolerance means you can plant late summer and harvest into the first hard freezes. Few vegetables deliver such vivid visual impact alongside genuine culinary versatility, from raw salads to charred grilling.
Red Treviso excels in preparations that celebrate its tart, pleasantly bitter character and crisp texture. Slice it raw into salads where its color and flavor brighten composed dishes with vinaigrette. Halve the heads lengthwise and grill until caramelized, which mellows the bitterness and reveals natural sweetness. Braise it gently in olive oil and stock, or sauté it simply with garlic. The sturdy, compact heads hold their structure through cooking, making this variety far more forgiving in the kitchen than tender lettuces.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Transplant seedlings into garden soil when they have 2 to 3 true leaves, spacing them 12 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. Timing depends on your growing season: spring plantings for early summer harvest, or midsummer plantings (8 to 10 weeks before first frost) for fall harvest when color development is most dramatic.
Direct sow seeds in garden beds or containers where plants will grow, pressing them into soil and keeping it consistently moist until germination. Seeds germinate between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvest Red Treviso 90 to 99 days after sowing when heads reach full size and the characteristic deep red color with white ribs has fully developed. This color transformation typically intensifies in cool weather, so autumn plantings often yield the most visually striking heads. Cut heads at the base with a sharp knife. The frost tolerance of this variety means you can continue harvesting through light freezes, and some gardeners report improved flavor after a touch of frost.
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“Red Treviso is rooted in the Treviso region of Italy, where this distinctive chicory developed over generations of seed saving and cultivation by local farmers. The variety represents a living tradition of Italian market gardening, where these striking red heads became a hallmark of northern Italian cuisine and seed culture. As an open-pollinated heirloom, it carries forward centuries of selection for its characteristic appearance and flavor, making each generation of seeds a direct link to its Veneto origins.”