Brussels sprouts
Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
Family: Brassicaceae
What it is like
A cabbage family plant. It has a single stem with small sprouts of compact leaves up the stem. It grows up to about 1 m high. The leaves are stalked and the edges are wavy. They are slightly lobed. The flowers are yellowish.
There are about 30 Brassica species and many cultivated varieties.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It suits the highlands in the tropics. Normally it needs to be above 800 m and in places with cool nights. It grows in the highlands up to 2600 m. It is frost tolerant. It grows in areas with temperatures between 14-26°C. It needs a pH between 6-6.9. It suits hardiness zones 8-11.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Cambodia, Caucasus, China, Cook Islands, Cuba, East Africa, Europe, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Japan, Mediterranean, Myanmar, Nepal, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Switzerland, Tasmania, Thailand, USA, West Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The sprouts are cooked and eaten. The leafy tops can also be eaten.
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. In Papua New Guinea, mainly only grown by a few people for sale to Europeans.
Edible parts
Lateral buds, side-buds, vegetable, leaves
How it is grown
It is normally grown from imported seed. Seedlings are transplanted after 5 or 6 weeks. The spacing needs to be about 60 cm x 60 cm.
The sprouts can be harvested about 4 months after transplanting.
Its other names
Local names
Aande kaule, Brstični ohrovt, Col de Bruselas, Monla-dok-nge, Mon-nyin-ywet, Phat-ka, Tarok-mon-nyin