Is broccoli man-made? When we think of the term man-made these days, many of us directly associate it with GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) crops.
However, there are numerous ways to modify plants, using all-natural processes, to create new varieties! In fact, the broccoli you see available for purchase at the grocery store was developed using a natural process.
In this article, we will take a closer look at this common vegetable that is becoming increasingly popular. We will look at the history of broccoli, related plants, how to grow it, and the health benefits it provides.
For those of us who are familiar with gardening, ‘broccoli’ usually presents itself in the form of a large round green head (like cauliflower, but dark green), which is generally the one that we find in the grocery store under the name broccoli.
For those of us who grow our vegetables, broccoli can also present itself in another form called ‘purple sprouting broccoli’, a taller, more open vegetable often grown in zones where the winter does not get too cold.
We will discuss the types of broccoli later in the article. For the purposes of our discussion about whether broccoli is man-made or not, we will discuss both forms.
What Is Broccoli?
Broccoli is a green vegetable that comes from the Brassicacea family. Other vegetables in this family include:
- Cabbage (Brassica olearacea Capitata)
- Kale (B. olearacea Acephala)
- Brussels sprouts (B. olearacea Gemmifera)
- Cauliflower (B. olearacea Botrytis)
- Collard greens (B. olearacea Viridis)
- Kohlrabi (B. olearacea Gongylodes)
- Turnips (B. oleracea Rapifina)
You’ll see from the list above that they are all varieties of the same plant Brassica olearacea. It may be hard to believe that kale and cauliflower are closely related beyond their appearance!
All of the brassicas (Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Kohlrabi, Turnips) are all descendants of a single plant called wild mustard (or wild cabbage), Brassica oleracea.
Two Types of Broccoli
We might all recognize the solid green head of broccoli sold in stores, simply labeled ‘broccoli’, which isn’t completely correct. The more accurately name of this variation of plant is Calabrese (Brassica olearacea Italica).
The other broccoli plant is purple sprouting broccoli (Brassica olearacea Cymosa).
Calabrese
This is what we see in the stores, the dense solid green head. It is basically always sold under the name “broccoli”, but the correct name of this type is Calabrese, Brassica olearacea Italica.
It grows as a bushy plant with one main head which is harvested all of at once. Again, the head is a dense grouping of flowering stems known as florets.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli (Cymosa)
The other plant, the more correct broccoli, is known as purple sprouting broccoli, Brassica olearacea Cymosa. It has much smaller heads, produced in multiples on a large, bushier plant.
These heads or spears are harvested over the course of a few weeks. They aren’t as dense as Calabrese heads, and often tend not to have a long shelf life after harvesting. So by the spring, there might be a local farmers’ market with purple sprouting broccoli spears for sale.
So, for the purposes of this article, I will treat both types of broccoli with respect to the question: Is it a plant created by man?
Is Broccoli Man-Made?
So is Broccoli Man-Made? Yes, broccoli is man-made, but no, it is not a GMO. People who garden will be used to the term ‘hybrid’, which describes a plant that was created by taking two parent plants and cross-pollinating them to create a ‘hybrid’ or new offspring.
And sometimes, a new plant is created as a result of its natural genetics, such as one plant growing out of a makeshift greenhouse with a bunch of kale seed pots, only one plant really stood out from all the rest.
What Is A GMO Plant?
We all hear about GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), and there is lot of confusion and misinformation around what GMOs are.
A GMO plant is a plant that has had its DNA modified in a laboratory setting through genetic engineering. This is an extensive process of modern science.
Pollinating one plant with another plant in the same family (known as cross-pollination) is completely different than a GMO.
History Of Artificial Selection (Or Selective Breeding)
We humans have been working with the traits of our agricultural crops for thousands of years. Obviously, ancient Romans and lost civilizations did not have our advanced scientific laboratories to play with plant DNA.
They were, however, still able to create new strains in crop plants to meet their needs such as going with something that was drought-tolerant, pest resistant or with higher yields.
By using a technique called ‘artificial selection,’ also known as selective breeding, they were able to do this.
Artificial selection is a process where growers intentionally select parent plants that have favorable characteristics for breeding. In vegetables and other crops, favorable characteristics would be things like the following:
- Drought tolerance
- Disease resistance
- Higher yields
- Better flavor
- Bigger fruit or root crop
A gardener would likely understand this concept well if you ever grown garlic (for example) they likely will save the biggest bulbs with the biggest cloves to plant for next year.
In ancient times, only a select few plants remain healthy when drought occurred and all of the other plants suffered or died. Farmers would harvest their seeds from the those healthy plants and plant these ones next season.
If they suffered a drought in the next year, they would again save seeds from the plants that stayed healthy. They continued this through the years until they developed plants that consistently performed well in drought.
The trick with artificial selection is that it is a slow process and is not a simple one growing from one generation of a plant to develop a stable new genetic make-up and desired result. Artificial selection is more like a natural process, with human intervention helping out.
Artificial Selection Of Plants Today
We should say, at least now, we have a greater understanding of how plants carry out their life cycles. But now what happens, even in science, there are new varieties of plants developed by intentionally cross-pollinating and documenting two parent plants with desirable characteristics to create another distinctly different offspring plant.
The offspring/plant generated will have some genetics from both parents. Each of the offspring will be propagated and have seeds from some of its early development that will be planted to see what plants it grows. (And on, and on, and on).
The History Of Broccoli
All of the Brassica plants we consume today are the result of artificial selection, and ultimately have one common ancestor: wild mustard (wild cabbage) Brassica oleracea.
Origins
Calabrese (the B. oleracea Italica variety) is thought to have been bred first in Tuscany about 2,000 years ago – hence, its common name, Italica.
It spread through Europe in the 18th century and reached the United States with the Italians who immigrated in the early 19th century; it did not become a mainstream vegetable until the 1920s.
Varieties Today
Today, new cultivars are still being developed for cold hardiness, early harvest (i.e., fewer days to maturity), richer flavor or higher nutrient content.
Whatever their level of interest or expertise, over time we have selected traits in this one plant, including:
- Larger leaves
- Tighter flower heads
- Smaller axillary buds
- Early harvest
- Drought tolerance
- Brassica Family
Brassica Family
Because of our cultivation of wild mustard, there are now several different varieties in the Brassica Genus, including:
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Plant Part Enhanced (compared to the original wild mustard) |
|---|---|---|
| Calabrese | Brassica olearacea var Italica | Flower heads |
| Purple sprouting broccoli | B. olearacea var Cymosa | Flower heads |
| Kale | B. olearacea var Acephala | Leaves |
| Brussels sprouts | B. olearacea var Gemmifera | Axillary buds |
| Cabbage | B. olearacea var Capitata | Tight clusters of leaves |
| Cauliflower | B. olearacea var Botrytis | Flower head |
| Kohlrabi | B. olearacea var Gongylodes | Swollen stem base |
| Collard greens | B. olearacea var Viridis | Leaves |
| Turnips | B. olearacea var Rapifina | Roots |
Broccoli’s Botanical Characteristics
Is Broccoli A Flower?
In general, we eat the stalk portion of the plant, along with immature flower buds.
What we call a ‘head’ or ‘spear’ of broccoli is simply a grouping of tightly compacted unopened green flower buds.
You may have also come across what are called florets in recipes. A floret means small flower, and usually refers to a smaller flower in a larger flower.
Plant Parts
You can eat every part of the plant, including:
- Leaves
- Stalk
- Florets
- Flowers
All parts of the broccoli plant are nutritious and full of flavor!
Health Benefits of Broccoli
Broccoli can provide robust health benefits. It is a very good source of vitamins C and A; one cup of broccoli has over twice the RDA for Vitamin C.
It is also a good source of:
- Calcium
- Riboflavin
- Folic acid
- Iron
- Fiber
There are so many delicious ways to prepare broccoli. It can be eaten raw in salads or with a dip. Eating it raw will give you the most nutrition. Broccoli can be lightly steamed, or blanched in boiling water, thrown into a stir fry, or added to cheesy baked casseroles.
How To Grow Broccoli
Although broccoli varieties have similar growing requirements, their planting and harvesting times differ.
We’ll first consider growing conditions:
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil | Rich in organic matter. Not too loose.Apply compost or manure several months prior to planting. |
| Fertilizer | Apply general fertilizer before sowing seeds or setting transplants. One small flower heads begin to show, apply fertilizer higher in phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) |
| Watering | Keep plants well watered during dry periods. Apply mulch around plants to maintain moisture. |
| Maintenance | Cover plants with insect netting right down to the soil as soon as they are planted, to protect from cabbage root fly in the spring. And to protect plants from cabbage moth throughout the growing season. |
Growing Calabrese Broccoli
Calabrese broccoli, which we are most familiar with, is the large-headed variety. Calabrese broccoli is a cool-season crop, which grows best between 65 through 80 degrees (between 18 and 27 C). Sowing at early spring or mid-Autumn (depending on your region) will help avoid excessive summer heat.
If temperatures rise above 75-80°F (between 24 and 27 °C) for too long, along with soil temperatures that become too warm, the broccoli will turn into flowers quickly (bolt) and you’ll lose out on harvesting the tight-budded heads.
Plant
Calabrese varieties do not transplant well, so direct seeding in the spring will be the best way to grow them (you can grow them from small transplants, but they must be treated with care when planting out).
After the seedlings have emerged, the next step is to cover them with insect netting. When installing the netting, it must be sealed down to the ground (to prevent birds pecking at the seedlings or to deter the cabbage root fly).
Keep the insect netting in place for the duration of the growing season, to help to protect the maturing plants from white cabbage moths over the summer and fall.
Mulch
Once the seedlings are a few inches high, place a thick layer of mulch around the plants. Mulch will help retain moisture in the soil and, once again, we want to keep the soil cool so that the plants will not bolt.
Harvest
Depending on the variety, harvest can be from late-summer until mid-autumn. Harvest the larger heads (basically spears) when the headed buds are still tight, firm, and before the flowers open up.
You should harvest the large, central headed flower first, so that the smaller side shoots will then grow. Harvesting can occur for as little as a couple of weeks and up to 6 weeks, depending on growing conditions.
Growing Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Unlike the Calabrese varieties, purple sprouting broccoli is a harder plant and can withstand colder temperatures.
Typically, in regions with milder winters, purple sprouting broccoli is sown mid-summer for harvesting in late winter into spring. Purple sprouting broccoli is a cut-and-come-again plant, so as the spears are harvested, additional spears will grow.
Purple sprouting broccoli is sown directly in the garden mid-April through mid-May or be planted as transplants in early to mid-summer, to be harvested the following spring. The flower spears are harvested when the buds are still tight. If you leave the spears to go to flower, the flavor will diminish (and become bitter).
Harvesting should continue for several weeks, if the spears are cut while still in bud. Once the spears begin flowering, then production will stop.
Why Is My Broccoli Flowering Early?
When the temperature gets too hot (above 75-80 °F/24-27 °C), broccoli will bolt and produce taller, looser flower heads instead of tightly-budded flower heads.
Once they do this, it’s too late to enjoy the yummy tight-budded heads. After the buds begin to turn yellow, the flavor and quality will turn and become too bitter. If they go completely to flower, you can still eat the flowers, but they will be more bitter than the broccoli flowers before they open.
Can You Eat Broccoli Flowers?
As we said before, the heads of broccoli we eat are made of flower buds before they are opened. If you do not harvest the heads, they will eventually open into small yellow flowers.
These little flowers and stems are also edible, but the thicker stalks are a bit too stringy and do not taste as well. The small flowers can be added to side salads or in other recipes.
The flavor is a bit of a bitter flavor, and the texture will be different too, with less nutrients than the buds we usually eat.
How To Stop Broccoli from Bolting
Calabrese broccoli is a cool-season crop. In other words, it will grow best in cooler temperatures. Once it gets to hot or the soil warms to much it will bolt and send up taller, looser flower heads.
So, to prevent Calabrese from bolting, make sure you plant in early spring or mid-autumn, depending on your growing zone. You want to prevent temperatures over 75-80 degrees in (24-27 °C) during, or just before, times when the budded heads are developing.
Make sure you also give it a good thick layer of mulch to help hold in moisture to help keep the soil cool.