Romanesco, minaret or tower cabbage: the special cauliflower. We show pictures, give variety and cultivation recommendations. Find out more here.

Minaret
The minaret cabbage is one of the few plants that shows a self-similarity in the form of Fibonacci spirals

The extraordinary Romanesco (Brassica oleracea convar. botrytis var. botrytis), also called minaret cabbage, has just as unusual synonyms as minaret cabbage or turret cabbage. The tower/minaret-like bulges of the inflorescences give it its name. An extreme peculiarity of this type of cabbage is that the inflorescences have a self-similarity. The so-called flower of Romanesco has Fibonacci spirals and fractal structures. Even if you read it again and again: The Romanesco is a natural variety of cauliflower and not a cross between broccoli and cauliflower and is therefore a real miracle of nature.

Its relationship to cauliflower also becomes clear when you look at the young Romanesco plants

Romanesco is particularly aromatic, which is due to the chlorophyll content of the inflorescences. It is also significantly richer in vitamins A and C than white cauliflower. The flowers usually mature a little later and are also a little smaller than in modern cauliflower varieties. Good news for anyone interested: With a little skill and compliance with the relevant cultivation instructions, Romanesco can also be cultivated here without any problems.

Use a sharp knife to separate the minaret cabbage from its inflorescence

Minaret Cabbage Varieties

  • Romanesco: designation of a fairly old variety; the variety is vigorous and needs a lot of space (70×70 cm); medium sized flowers.
  • Celio (F1): vigorous variety for year-round cultivation; safe and good yield.
  • Veronica (F1): Minaret cabbage variety for late summer and autumn cultivation with uniform and visually appealing flowers; resistant to powdery mildew; a popular commercial variety.
  • White Gold: minaret cabbage variety for late summer and autumn cultivation; regular and high quality flowers; high yield and robust in cultivation.
  • Navona(F1): variety for autumn cultivation; evenly shaped flowers of heavy weight; quite hardy in culture.
  • Gitano (F1): new variety suitable for autumn cultivation; compact growth and good yield; high resistance to downy mildew.

If you want to learn more about the different Romanesco varieties, take a look at this article.

Diseases and Pests

Romanesco is a bit more compact and produces smaller flowers than the common white cauliflower. As a variety of cauliflower, it is not surprising that it suffers from the same diseases and pests as cauliflower.

When planting young seedlings should be protected from snails. Common cabbage diseases can also cause problems for the Romanesco, such as the dreaded clubroot fungus, flea beetles (leaves puncture), cabbage whites (leaf eating) and cabbage flies.

If you are interested in other types of cabbage, this article will give you an overview of the variety of cabbages.

Special thanks to the photographers: aimee rivers, timquijano, Valleybrook Gardens and gribeard.

Category:

Vegetables