15 Best Cauliflower Varieties to Grow at Home (with Pictures)

There are many varieties of cauliflower that can be grown at home. Cauliflower can come in all sorts of sizes, flavors, and even colors. Cauliflower is much more than an albino broccoli knockoff. In fact, there are over four different colors of cauliflower you can grow in your garden, including purple. Whether you want a garden filled with dense rows of numerous cauliflower plants or a single pot with an attractive variant, there are cultivars available that you can use.

The 15 Best Cauliflower Varieties to Grow at Home

1. Green Goddess

Green goddess is a unique cauliflower variant that has a vibrant and distinctive green color. This cauliflower takes 70 days to reach maturity. It can be harvested in “baby” size meaning the florets will look very similar to broccoli at first glance. Green goddess is a good variety to grow at home because it can tolerate a little bit of cold. It is unique in its appearance, flavorful, and grows vigorously in ideal conditions. Green goddess cauliflower can be a healthy conversation starter and a way to add some extra color to a home garden.

2. Di Sicilia Violetto

Di Sicilia violetto is a large and extremely vibrant cauliflower variant that produces great edible vegetables. The color is a rich purple that fills the garden with its beautiful hue. Unfortunately, when you cook this particular cauliflower, it loses its purple color and turns green. You can also eat it raw to retain its stunning appearance, and it makes a great addition to home vegetable platters and sides for this reason. If you plan on planting this variety at home, be sure to space the plants out by at least 20” if not 24”. Di Sicilia violetto can grow quite large in just two months, and they will crowd one another out with competing stalks if you plant them too close together.

3. Snow Crown

Cauliflower can be notoriously difficult to grow. It is a part of the cabbage family and getting a good variety to take on the first try can be rough. Snow crown is one of the easiest varieties of cauliflower to grow. These plants are extremely hardy and grow very quickly. Snow crown matures in just 50 days, making it one of the quickest cauliflowers in terms of time to harvest. If you are looking for a tasty mild cauliflower variety to grow at home that can be quickly harvested and eaten raw, you want to give snow crown a hard look.

4. White Corona Hybrid

Another white cauliflower variant that has a short time to mature is the white corona hybrid. This is an example of a classic white cauliflower plant with large heads measuring 3 to 5 inches. They can handle a small amount of cold and even frost, which is a boon to people trying to plant in cool climates. These plants grow well in small pots or plots. However, they might require some blanching as they reach maturity. The white corona hybrid is a great plant to get started if you are looking for fast results. The edible parts are slightly bitter but make for a raw and crunchy snack that is great for dipping.

5. Cheddar Hybrid

Cheddar hybrid is a cauliflower variant that is sure to turn heads. This plant turns bright orange as it matures and looks similar to a Cheeto. These plants can add a unique twist to a lunch platter or can serve as a colorful focal point in your vegetable garden. The orange color comes from beta carotene, the same compound that makes carrots orange, and is dense with helpful nutrients. Unlike other varieties of cauliflower, these heads do not lose their color when they are cooked. In fact, these plants tend to get even deeper and more orange after being cooked.

6. Graffiti Hybrid

Graffiti hybrid cauliflower takes a long time to mature. Most plants won’t be ready to harvest for 80 days, but the final result is well worth the wait. The plant yields deeply rich purple cauliflower heads that are chocked full of nutritious antioxidant anthocyanins. The graffiti hybrid is a very large plant that can top out at over two feet in diameter. Its flavor is mildly sweet and not bitter at all. It can also tolerate humid climates better than many of its cousins, making it good for southern growers or gardeners who live in a moist environment. This variant does not require any blanching to maintain or retain its breathtaking color.

7. Snowball

Snowball is an old variety of cauliflower that was developed in France. It has various sub variants and hybrids that have been spun off from the original snowball variety. It has tightly wound florets that are bright white. The vegetable produces a pleasant yet mild flavor that is very popular in both Europe and North America. The plant can grow large, in excess of two feet in diameter, and produces rich green leaves. The leaves provide a natural self-blanching for the editable head, which cuts down the need for personal blanching.

8. Flame Star

Flame star is an orange variety of cauliflower. It is paler than the cheddar varieties of cauliflower. Unlike other varieties of cauliflower, flame star is extremely sweet and very crunchy. In comparison to other cauliflowers and cabbages, flame star is very compact. It does not spread out, making it ideal for growing in a small pot or deep container. Flame star, like its name, is also much more heat tolerant than other cabbages, which makes it a good choice for southern gardeners who have struggled to keep cauliflower alive in the past due to high heat or humidity.

9. Attribute Hybrid

Attribute hybrid is a primary variety of cauliflower. It is easy to grow at home, making it a great choice for gardeners looking to try out cauliflower in next season’s garden. Attribute hybrid cauliflower can be started from seeds and can be grown in the ground or in a pot. Attribute hybrid grows large white heads measuring six to eight inches in diameter. Many people describe attribute hybrid as a savory vegetable. It has a smooth taste and a unique flavor profile compared to other cabbage variants. Attribute hybrids also produce large, elongated leaves that help the plant with self-blanching to protect the large edible head.

10. Fioretto 60

Fioretto 60 strikes a unique silhouette compared to other cauliflower varieties. Fioretto 60 grows small green heads that sit atop tall spindly stalks. These are not the easiest variety of cauliflower to grow, but they can mature quickly during a warm spring. These spring cauliflowers boast a unique nutty taste to go along with their unique appearance. Fioretto 60 is also pest resistant making it a good choice for gardens. However, blanching is required in order to get the best results.

11. Fioretto 85

Fioretto 85 is extremely similar to Fioretto 60. They have a nearly identical appearance but very different growing patterns. Fioretto 85 grows much more slowly than Fioretto 60. Fioretto 85 can take over 80 days to reach full maturity compared to Fioretto 60, which only takes 50 days. Fioretto 85 is a fantastic fall crop that should be planted in late summer compared to Fioretto 60 which is a spring crop. Together, you can plant offsetting Fioretto varieties to get a fall and spring crop of tasty florets. Fioretto 85 can grow up to 18 inches in height.

12. Veronica Romanesco Hybrid

Image Credit: Hans, Pixabay

Many people think of cauliflower as white broccoli. That is not true, and the two plants are not closely related. However, Veronica Romanesco Hybrid is an actual cross between broccoli and cauliflower. The results are truly interesting. Veronica Romanesco Hybrid produces whorls of spiny florets. These plants can grow between 18 and 24 inches tall. This variety is grown equally for its appearance and its unique flavor pallet. Veronica Romanesco Hybrid is sometimes colloquially referred to as broccoflower to denote its hybrid origins. If you are looking for a super unique and beautiful vegetable with an interesting flavor pallet, you should consider planting Veronica Romanesco Hybrid in your garden.

13. Depurple Hybrid

Depurple, or deep purple, cauliflower hybrids are one of the slowest growing varieties. If you can wait, the results are epic. Depurple hybrid cauliflower produces dense purple heads. At first glance, they look like broccoli that was dipped into purple paint. Unfortunately, cooking these beautiful florets can cause them to lose their color. No blanching is required to retain the color, shape, or flavor of depurple hybrid cauliflower, which is a boon. These plants make excellent accents to vegetable gardens or as a way to wow guests.

14. Self-Blanching Snowball

The self-blanching snowball is one of the most common varieties of the snowball variant. The self-blanching snowball is popular because of its generous leaves, which enclose the snowball head. This prevents the need for blanching. White cauliflower is particularly vulnerable to sun damage which causes excessive bitterness. Self-blanching snowball cauliflower has very few of these problems while still delivering a classic white cauliflower vegetable. Like the original snowball cultivar, the self-blanching variant was developed in central Europe.

15. Early White Hybrid

Early white hybrid cauliflower is a traditional white cauliflower that can grow in as little as 50 days. These plants grow quickly, but they also grow large. Some heads of early white have measured over nine inches. If you are looking for a quick turnaround that can produce a large crop, this is one of the best variants to consider. The early white cauliflower has that traditional cauliflower taste, but it isn’t particularly bitter or strong in its flavor profile. The heads are firm and crunchy. The plant has enhanced cold tolerance making it great for northern gardeners and growers.

What Is Blanching?

Blanching is a required practice for some cauliflower cultivars. Blanching requires the grower to tie and bind the plant’s leaves, so they envelop the edible head. Blanching protects the edible part of the cauliflower plant from sun damage and pests. Sun damage can cause yellowing, bitterness, and discoloration. The art and act of blanching can really protect the heart of your cauliflower plant to get the best result. Before growing any sort of cauliflower variety, you should look into whether or not it requires blanching to thrive.

If you are struggling to get good flavors out of your cauliflower, it could be due to a lack of proper blanching or poor blanching techniques.

Conclusion

There are a surprising number of cauliflower variants in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors. There are variants that grow well in dry climates, hot climates, cold climates, temperate climates, and humid environments. There are cauliflower variants that can be grown for their appearance, their flavor, or both. No matter what you are looking for there is a perfect cauliflower variant out there that will thrive in your garden.

Featured Image Credit: thraniwen, Pixabay