Open-pollinated Broccoli
Piracicaba Broccoli originated in the tropical farmlands surrounding the Brazilian city of Piracicaba, where it was developed to thrive in the heat that wilts ordinary broccoli varieties. This heat-tolerant cultivar produces large, sweet-beaded florets and, remarkably, keeps yielding cut after cut throughout the season. Hardy in zones 2-9, it reaches 24-30 inches tall and wide, maturing in just 65 days. If you've struggled with broccoli bolting in summer heat, Piracicaba changes the game, rewarding patient gardeners with abundant harvests when most other varieties have given up.
18-24 inches apart
Full Sun
Moderate
2-9
30in H x 30in W
Annual
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Born in the steamy tropics of Brazil, Piracicaba defies the conventional wisdom that broccoli is a cool-season crop. Where summer heat typically sends other varieties into premature flowering, this one thrives, producing large florets with genuine sweetness and continuing to yield side shoots long after the main head is harvested. Its ability to perform reliably across hardiness zones 2-9 and reach mature size in 65 days makes it as practical as it is exceptional.
Piracicaba Broccoli is grown and harvested for its florets, which are eaten fresh or cooked in a wide range of preparations. The large, sweet beads and the plant's ability to produce multiple harvests from side shoots make it valuable for both home gardeners seeking sustained yield and those cooking regularly with fresh broccoli throughout the summer months.
Start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost, maintaining soil temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant into the garden once soil is workable and nighttime temperatures remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harden off seedlings over 7-10 days before moving them to the garden. Space transplants 18 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart, in full sun. Plant them at the same depth they were growing in their containers.
Cut the main head when the florets are tightly clustered and firm, before they begin to separate or flower. Piracicaba's defining trait is its production of side shoots; after harvesting the central head, continue cutting these secondary florets as they mature. Harvest regularly to encourage more growth, and the plant will reward you with cut after cut of fresh broccoli throughout the season.
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“Piracicaba Broccoli emerged from the tropical farmlands surrounding the city of Piracicaba in São Paulo State, Brazil, where agricultural innovation bred a broccoli variety specifically adapted to heat and humidity that would otherwise destroy the crop. Unlike European heirlooms developed for cool springs and falls, this cultivar was born from the necessity of feeding tropical regions year-round. The variety has since traveled far from its origins; seed producers like Hudson Valley Seed now cultivate Piracicaba on their New York farms, bringing this heat-adapted Brazilian innovation to gardeners across North America.”