Brassica oleracea
Origin: Piricicaba, Brazil
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~80
Germination tested 10/2024: 99%
Life cycle: Annual or Biennial
Bred at the oldest agricultural university in Brazil, the University of Piricicaba, and named after its place of origin, this broccoli is simply one-of-a-kind. While it bears some physical resemblance to Broccoli Rabe, it is a true broccoli, so it has a sweet, non-bitter flavor of other crops in Brassica oleracea (Broccoli Rabe is technically turnip greens, the Brassica rapa species). Unlike most broccolis, 'Piricicaba' was bred for heat tolerance, so it thrives in place where other broccolis fail, but it can also perform beautifully in the sort of cooler climates most often associated with broccoli production. Expect it to produce a very small central head along with copious side-shoots, which are the main event here. Under the right circumstances, with continual harvest, one plant can produce shoots for weeks or even months.
Our seed comes from our good friend Melissa DeSa of Working Food in Gainesville, Florida. Yep, you read that right: broccoli seed produced in Florida! With any other variety, that would be a near impossibility.
