Specialty Broccoli
Purple Peacock Broccoli is a showstopper of a vegetable that marries ornamental drama with genuine edibility. This Brassica oleracea cultivar earns its peacock name through extraordinary visual variation, stems, leaves, and florets display blue-green streaking and iridescent coloring that rivals the bird's legendary plumage. Ready to harvest in just 70 days, it reaches a compact 24 inches tall with an 18-inch spread, making it well-suited to both garden beds and containers. What you're really buying here is artistic expression you can eat.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-11
24in H x 18in W
Annual
High
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Unlike conventional broccoli varieties that offer predictable green uniformity, Purple Peacock delivers genuine surprise with every head. The streaking and color variation mean no two broccolis look quite alike, you'll find yourself selecting which specimens to harvest based purely on their chromatic extravagance. This isn't broccoli bred for supermarket conformity; it's broccoli that respects the gardener's eye as much as the appetite. The fact that it matures in 70 days means you're not sacrificing speed for spectacle.
Purple Peacock broccoli is primarily enjoyed as a fresh vegetable, harvested and prepared much like conventional broccoli. The florets work beautifully in raw applications where their distinctive coloring can be showcased, salads, crudités, and vegetable platters benefit from their visual impact. They're equally at home roasted, steamed, or incorporated into stir-fries, where the blue-green hues intensify with heat. The smaller, ornamental nature of individual heads suggests portioned servings or market-style presentation.
Start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before your intended transplant date, sowing them 1/4 inch deep in seed-starting mix kept at 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep soil consistently moist and provide bright light once seedlings emerge. Harden off seedlings over 7 to 10 days before transplanting outdoors.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they've developed 3 to 4 true leaves and after the last frost date has passed. Space plants 24 inches apart in rows spaced 30 inches apart. Choose a location with full sun and rich, well-draining soil. Gently firm soil around transplants and water thoroughly.
Harvest Purple Peacock Broccoli when the central head reaches full size with florets still tightly clustered together, typically around 70 days after transplanting. Cut the main head at the base with a sharp knife, leaving the plant in the ground, many varieties produce secondary, smaller heads from side shoots. Check heads regularly once they mature, as they'll continue to develop and may become looser or flower if left too long. Harvest in the morning when the plant is fully hydrated for the best texture and color intensity.
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