What it is

Broccoli Tyrian F1 is a genuinely new variety in the world of sprouting broccoli, bred by Sakata and offered as part of the RHS seed range produced by Mr Fothergill's Seeds. It holds the distinction of being the first fully purple sprouting broccoli commercially available: unlike traditional purple sprouting broccoli where only the florets carry colour, Tyrian carries its rich purple through the leaf veins, the stems and the florets all the way down. It is a Brassica oleracea italica and a summer sprouting type, meaning it does not require the long dormant overwintering period of traditional purple sprouting varieties. That makes it a significantly faster and more accessible crop, with a harvest window running from April through to October depending on sowing date. Plants grow to around 80cm tall with a neat, upright habit that makes it tidy on the plot and straightforward to harvest.

Why it is good

Tyrian is not just visually striking, it is genuinely delicious. The flavour is sweet and mild, with a soft, low fibre texture in both the stems and florets that works beautifully raw, steamed, stir fried or briefly boiled. The deep purple colour, which comes from a high concentration of anthocyanins, is retained best when the shoots are steamed or stir fried quickly rather than boiled at length. Those anthocyanins are also one of the reasons purple brassicas are so nutritious: they are powerful antioxidants that make Tyrian one of the more health oriented vegetables you can grow on the plot. As a summer sprouting variety it fills a genuinely useful seasonal gap, producing harvests through late spring and summer when traditional purple sprouting broccoli is long finished and the main calabrese crop is not yet ready. Cut regularly and the plants continue producing side shoots across a long season.

Growing performance

Tyrian is vigorous and grows quite straight upwards with a uniform, tidy habit that makes harvesting straightforward. It prefers a sunny position in firm, fertile, well drained soil with good organic matter worked in before planting. As with all brassicas, firm planting is important, and the soil should be prepared a few weeks in advance to allow it to settle. Space plants 60cm apart in both directions to give them room to develop fully and allow airflow around the foliage. Net with fine mesh from transplanting to protect against cabbage white butterflies and pigeons, both of which are serious problems if left unchecked. Follow a brassica rotation and do not grow in ground used for the cabbage family in the previous year. The variety is described as an excellent performer in garden trials and has demonstrated strong reliability across a range of growing conditions.

Harvest and outcome

Cut shoots from April through to October, harvesting when they are around 10 to 15cm long, using a sharp knife or scissors just above a leaf joint. Regular cutting is essential to keep the plant producing: once you stop picking, the plant shifts its energy into seed production and the harvest ends. The purple colour in both stems and florets makes it visually distinctive at the table and one of the more appealing raw vegetables for salads and crudités. When cooked, the colour softens but the sweet, tender flavour remains excellent. The stems are fully edible as well as the florets, which reduces waste and gives you more usable material per plant than many other sprouting broccoli types.

Who it is for

Tyrian suits any grower who wants something genuinely new on the plot alongside their regular brassica rotation. It is a natural choice for kitchen gardeners who value both flavour and appearance in what they grow, and for allotment growers who want to cover the seasonal gap between spring crops and summer harvest. Growers who have struggled with the long lead time of traditional purple sprouting broccoli will find the faster turnaround of a summer sprouting variety much more manageable. It is also an excellent variety for anyone cooking for people who are normally resistant to broccoli: the colour, the sweetness and the tender stems make it a more persuasive vegetable all round.