If you’re looking for something different to grow, consider plants that look like broccoli. These unusual varieties add a unique visual punch to your garden and often come with surprising benefits. They can be ornamental, edible, or both, creating fascinating focal points in your beds and containers.
This guide will introduce you to some of the most interesting options. You’ll learn how to grow them and why they deserve a spot in your planting plans.
Plants That Look Like Broccoli
This category includes plants whose form mimics the dense, clustered florets of a broccoli head. The similarity is often in their flower or leaf structure, creating that familiar textured look.
Romanesco Broccoli
Perhaps the most famous example, Romanesco is actually an edible brassica. Its stunning lime-green heads are composed of perfect fractal spirals. It’s a conversation starter every time.
- Type: Edible vegetable (heirloom)
- Key Feature: Fractal, spiral-patterned head
- Taste: Milder and nuttier than standard broccoli
- Growing Tip: Needs consistent moisture and cool weather to form its tight heads.
Green Cauliflower
Often sold as ‘Broccoflower,’ this is a cauliflower variant with a green, slightly spiky head. The color and texture are very reminiscent of broccoli, thought it’s technically a cauliflower.
- Type: Edible vegetable
- Key Feature: Vibrant green, rounded head
- Taste: A sweet blend of broccoli and cauliflower flavors
- Growing Tip: Blanch the head by tying outer leaves over it once it reaches golf-ball size to maintain its tender color.
Ornamental Cabbage and Kale
These are grown entirely for their good looks. Their central rosettes can look exactly like giant, colorful broccoli heads, especially the frilly and feathery types.
- Type: Ornamental foliage plant
- Key Feature: Brilliant pink, purple, and white centers
- Use: Excellent for fall and winter container gardens
- Growing Tip: The colors intensify after a frost, making them perfect for cool-season interest.
Bougainvillea ‘Raspberry Ice’
This might seem like a surprise, but certain pruned bougainvillea cultivars, especially ‘Raspberry Ice,’ produce dense clusters of bracts that from a distance resemble a broccoli’s form. It’s a stunning ornamental effect.
- Type: Flowering shrub/vine
- Key Feature: Dense, clustered magenta bracts against variegated foliage
- Use: Trellis, hedge, or container specimen
- Growing Tip: Prune heavily after a flowering cycle to encourage the dense, clustered growth habit.
Certain Sedum and Echeveria Succulents
Many rosette-forming succulents, particularly some Echeveria and Sempervivum, have a tight, layered growth pattern that mimics a broccoli floret. They are like miniature, drought-tolerant versions.
- Type: Succulent
- Key Feature: Geometric, tightly packed leaf rosettes
- Use: Rock gardens, green roofs, and containers
- Growing Tip: Provide excellent drainage and plenty of sun to keep the rosettes tight and compact.
How to Grow These Unique Plants
Success with these varieties depends on understanding there basic needs. While they share a visual theme, their care can be quite different.
Soil and Sun Requirements
Most of the edible brassicas (Romanesco, Green Cauliflower) need rich, fertile soil with a neutral pH. They thrive in full sun. Ornamental cabbages and kale have similar needs.
The succulent varieties, however, require gritty, poor soil that drains incredibly fast. They also want full sun but are adapted to much drier conditions. Bougainvillea needs well-drained soil and lots of heat and sun to bloom well.
Watering and Feeding
Here’s where the groups diverge completely:
- Edible Brassicas: Keep soil consistently moist. Feed with a balanced organic fertilizer every 3-4 weeks.
- Ornamental Cabbage/Kale: Water regularly, but allow soil to dry slightly between waterings. A slow-release fertilizer at planting is usually enough.
- Succulents (Sedum/Echeveria): Use the “soak and dry” method. Water deeply, then let soil dry out completely before watering again. Feed lightly once in spring.
- Bougainvillea: Water deeply but infrequently once established. To encourage blooming, use a fertilizer higher in phosphorus.
Managing Pests and Problems
The edible plants are susceptible to typical garden pests. You’ll need to watch for cabbage worms, aphids, and slugs. Row covers are an effective physical barrier.
For succulents, overwatering is the main enemy, leading to root rot. Ensure pots have drainage holes. Bougainvillea is generally pest-resistant but can be affected by aphids or caterpillars occasionally.
Design Ideas for Your Garden
Using these plants effectively is all about playing with texture and surprise.
In the Vegetable Patch
Plant Romanesco or Green Cauliflower in a block or row. Their architectural form makes them handsome enough for a front-yard potager. Interplant with lettuce or herbs to maximize space.
Ornamental Beds and Borders
Use ornamental kale as a thrilling centerpiece in fall containers. Their bold colors and textures pair beautifully with trailing ivy or pansies. The succulents are perfect for creating a living mosaic in a shallow dish garden or wall planter.
As a Focal Point
A well-pruned Bougainvillea ‘Raspberry Ice’ on a standard (tree form) can be an unbelievable focal point on a patio. It’s lush, colorful, and the “broccoli” shape of its flower clusters becomes a real talking point.
Where to Source Seeds and Plants
Finding these unusual varieties is easier than ever. Romanesco and Green Cauliflower seeds are available from many major heirloom seed catalogs and online retailers. Ornamental kale and cabbage are ubiquitous at garden centers in the early fall.
For the succulent varieties, check specialized nurseries or online succulent sellers. Bougainvillea cultivars are best purchased as young plants from a nursery that specializes in flowering shrubs or tropicals.
Adding these plants that look like broccoli to your garden is a sure way to spark curiosity. They blend the familiar with the fantastic, offering beauty and sometimes a great harvest too. With the right care, they can become the most memorable parts of your garden landscape.
FAQ
What is the name of the plant that looks like fractal broccoli?
That is Romanesco broccoli (or Romanesco cauliflower). It’s famous for its natural fractal spiral pattern and is completely edible.
Are there ornamental plants similar to broccoli?
Yes, ornamental cabbage and kale are the most common. They are bred for their colorful, frilly leaves that form a tight, broccoli-like head and are used for cool-season decoration.
Can I eat ornamental kale?
Technically yes, it is not poisonous. However, it is bred for looks, not flavor, and tends to be very bitter and tough compared to culinary kale varieties.
What succulent resembles a broccoli?
Many Echeveria and Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks) succulents form tight, layered rosettes that visually mimic a broccoli floret, especially when viewed from above.
How do I get my Romanesco to form a good head?
It needs consistent cool temperatures, plenty of water, and rich soil. Stress from heat or drought can cause it to bolt or form loose, poorly defined heads. Timing planting for a fall harvest is often most succesful.