VegetableRutabaga
American Purple Top Rutabaga
Root Vegetable
American Purple Top Rutabaga is a pre-1920s heirloom that produces large, nearly round roots with stunning purple shoulders over golden-yellow skin. This classic fall crop thrives in zones 3-10, developing sweet, fine-grained yellow flesh that turns rich golden when cooked. Taking 80-120 days to mature, these substantial roots can reach 5-6 inches across and store beautifully through winter, making them a reliable choice for cold-season gardening.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/rutabaga-american-purple-top-seeds)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam; Slightly Alkaline Preferred
Preferred Temp50-75°F
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
PeriodBiennial
TypeRoot
Spacing
12-18 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
Biennial
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
This USU-recommended heirloom stands out for its impressive size and exceptional winter storage qualities. The roots develop beautiful purple over yellow coloring with mild, sweet flesh that actually improves in flavor after light frosts. Unlike many root crops, American Purple Top combines excellent field performance with outstanding keeping quality, making it both a dependable garden staple and an attractive market variety that has remained popular for over a century.
Common Uses
This versatile root vegetable excels both raw and cooked, lending itself beautifully to mashing like potatoes, roasting alongside other root vegetables, or adding hearty substance to soups and stews. The mild, sweet flesh works wonderfully cubed in casseroles or baked into warming winter dishes. Its fine-grained texture and golden color when cooked make it an excellent substitute for turnips or potatoes in traditional recipes.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Not Applicable (Does Not Bloom For Root Harvest)
First Harvest
Early Fall
Last Harvest
Late Fall
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Not recommended as root crops do not transplant well due to potential root disturbance.
Direct Sow
Sow directly in early spring as soon as soil can be worked for summer harvest, or 3-4 months before first fall frost for the best fall crop. In mild climates, sow in fall for late winter harvest. Seeds germinate best when soil temperature reaches 60-80°F.
Harvesting
Roots are ready around 90 days when they reach 4-6 inches across with well-developed purple tops. Use a garden fork to carefully loosen soil around roots, then pull gently to avoid damage. Remove foliage, leaving about half an inch of stem to prevent storage rot. Rutabagas can remain in the ground during cool weather and harvested as needed until soil freezes.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6.5 – 7.5
Scientific Classification
Brassica napus L. var. napus
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Duration
Annual, Biennial
Growth Habit
Forb/herb
Native Status
L48 (I)
History & Origin
“American Purple Top Rutabaga is a cherished heirloom variety that predates 1920, representing over a century of careful seed saving and selection. This classic rutabaga has endured because of its reliable performance and superior storage qualities, earning recognition from agricultural institutions like Utah State University as a standard market variety. Its longevity in American gardens speaks to generations of gardeners who valued its combination of productivity, flavor, and winter-keeping ability.”