VegetableBroccoli
Spring Rapini Broccoli
Spring Rapini Broccoli is a cool-season annual that races from seed to harvest in just 40 to 49 days, making it one of the fastest brassicas for impatient gardeners. Despite its name, this variety is actually a closer relative to turnips than to broccoli, though it shares the leafy appeal of broccoli rabe. Cold-hardy enough for zones 3 through 10, it thrives in spring and fall gardens where heat-loving vegetables struggle, delivering tender greens when timing is right.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soils
Growth Stats
TypeBush
Spacing
6
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3-10
Size
?in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
This variety earned its speed and cold tolerance by inheriting turnip genetics rather than broccoli ancestry, a botanical quirk that makes it surprisingly easy to grow in shoulder seasons. The 40 to 49 day timeline means you can sow in early spring and harvest before summer heat arrives, or plant midsummer for a crisp fall crop. Its bush habit and compact 6-inch spacing allow multiple plantings in tight garden beds, rewarding succession planting with repeated harvests.
Common Uses
Spring Rapini Broccoli is prepared much like its broccoli rabe cousin, with tender stems and leafy florets that shine in simple preparations. The greens are typically blanched briefly and finished with garlic and olive oil, steamed as a side dish, or incorporated into pasta and grain bowls where their slight bitterness balances richer flavors.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in mid to late summer for fall harvest. Press seeds into moist soil at the recommended depth and keep the seedbed moist until germination occurs.
Harvesting
Harvest Spring Rapini Broccoli when the central head is well-formed and before flowers begin to open, typically at 40 to 49 days after planting. Cut the main head with several inches of stem attached. Once the central head is harvested, side shoots will often develop, providing additional smaller harvests over the following weeks.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Brassica rapa var. italica
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Growth Habit
Bush
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)GL (I)