// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Broccoli

Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible flower, leaf. Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family). Originally from Italy. Grown as an annual in zones 3a–11a. Mature size 18"–30". Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: May–Jun and Oct–Nov.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Italy · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 3a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 18"–30"
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Edible parts: flower, leaf
Harvest (NE OK): May–Jun and Oct–Nov
Garden role: cool-season brassica · side shoots after the main head · spring & fall crop

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)) — *Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)* — Broccoli. Photo by Fir0002 via Wikimedia Commons (GFDL 1.2).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: cool-season brassica · side shoots after the main head · spring & fall crop. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, broccoli pairs well with: Dill (Anethum graveolens), Onion (Allium cepa), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Beet (Beta vulgaris (Conditiva Group)).