Curly Endive
Green Curled Ruffec Endive is a cold-hardy, non-GMO cultivar prized for its dramatic, deeply cut foliage and blanched creamy heart. Recommended by Utah State University for its resilience in challenging conditions, this variety reaches harvestable maturity in 95 days and thrives across hardiness zones 3, 9. The 15-inch plant produces large, intricately curled leaves that transform into a tender white center when blanched, making it both visually striking in the garden and rewarding on the plate.
Full Sun
—
3-9
?in H x ?in W
Perennial
Moderate
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What sets Green Curled Ruffec apart is its legendary hardiness, this endive laughs at cold and wet weather that would slow other varieties. The foliage alone is garden-worthy: deeply fringed leaves that curl and twist into an architectural form. But the real magic happens when you blanch it: tie up the outer leaves just 2, 3 weeks before harvest and watch the heart fade to creamy white, transforming from a bitter green into something tender and mild. Utah State University backs this variety for good reason, it's genuinely easy to grow with no significant pest or disease concerns.
Green Curled Ruffec Endive is grown primarily for its leaves, which can be enjoyed fresh in salads or cooked. The plant's real culinary magic emerges through blanching, the traditional technique of shielding the heart from light transforms the texture and flavor into something far milder and more refined than the raw green leaves. Blanched endive becomes tender enough for gentle cooking or elegant salad presentations, while the unblanched outer leaves offer a more assertive, slightly bitter character suitable for brased dishes or sturdy salads.
Direct sow Green Curled Ruffec endive seeds into garden soil in spring or midsummer for fall harvest. Plant for 95 days of growth before your first expected frost date, allowing the cold-hardy foliage to reach full development.
Green Curled Ruffec reaches maturity around 95 days from sowing. For a tender, blanched heart, tie up the outer leaves 2, 3 weeks before you intend to harvest, excluding light from the center, this forces the interior to turn creamy white and mild. You can harvest the entire plant by cutting at soil level, or pick individual outer leaves as needed. The blanching window is crucial: start the process too early and the heart may rot; too late and you'll miss the tenderness that blanching creates.
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“Green Curled Ruffec carries the endorsement of Utah State University, signaling its status as a proven performer in diverse growing regions. While the full history of the Ruffec line isn't detailed in available sources, its recommendation by a major agricultural institution speaks to decades of evaluation and farmer feedback. This variety represents the kind of practical, hardy breeding work that universities undertake to ensure home and market gardeners have access to reliable, regionally-tested crops.”