Types of Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a popular cruciferous vegetable that belongs to the Brassica genus. Closely related to broccoli, cauliflower also grows a tightly packed head of florets often referred to as “curd.” These florets are well-loved due to their versatile kitchen uses and nutritional value.

Climate can greatly impact the growth of cauliflowers. Similar to other Brassica crops, growing cauliflower from your vegetable garden can be a challenging, but rewarding endeavor. Different types of cauliflower have distinct needs and traits — both of which you should consider before buying from seed markets. 

Common Cauliflower Types

In the United States, white varieties are widely available in most grocery stores. Cauliflower of other colors such as orange, purple, and yellow, are more difficult to find commercially. Cultivating your own cauliflower allows you to access these colorful cultivars.

Heirloom and Hybrid Cauliflowers

Cauliflower varieties like Odysseus, Purple of Sicily, Self-Blanche, and Snowball Y are some of the most popular heirlooms. These are true to seed, free from any crossbreeding for at least 40 to 50 years. Various ethnic, familial, or other social units in a geographic area, practice seed saving for these varieties to maintain their unique traits. In some cases, heirloom seeds are maintained by seed companies.

Modernization has paved the way to hardier varieties of the cauliflower plant. Adona, Fioretto 70, Snowbowl, and Snow Crown are some examples of hybrids. Through manual crossbreeding, traits between two cauliflower varieties are imbued in the resulting hybrid. Enhancement on flavor, growth, resistance, and yield can be made in hybrid cauliflowers. Thus, these are often cultivated commercially.

Other Popular Cauliflowers Groupings

Now that we’ve differentiated heirloom from hybrid types, let’s look at some of the most common cauliflower varieties.

Types of Cauliflower Colors

While common types of cauliflower have white heads, some varieties come in bright colors.

Cauliflower Colors	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
Green Cauliflowers	Green Macerata (Rare Seeds)
Purple Cauliflowers	DePurple (Territorial Seed Company) Graffiti Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Purple of Sicily (Territorial Seed Company, Rare Seeds)
Orange/Yellow Cauliflowers	Cheddar (True Leaf Market) Clementine (Territorial Seed Company) Flame Star (Territorial Seed Company)
White Cauliflowers	Fioretto 70 (Territorial Seed Company) Goodman (Territorial Seed Company) Odysseus (Territorial Seed Company) Snowball Y Improved (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Snowbowl (Territorial Seed Company)

Types of Cauliflower Flavors

Cauliflowers generally have a mild to sweet flavor.

Cauliflower Flavors	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
Nutty Cauliflowers	Cheddar (True Leaf Market) De Jesi (Rare Seeds) Green Macerata (Rare Seeds) Odysseus (Territorial Seed Company) Rober (Rare Seeds)
Mild and Sweet Cauliflowers	Adona (Territorial Seed Company) Fioretto 70 (Territorial Seed Company) Graffiti Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Snow Crown (Territorial Seed Company) Song TJS-65 (True Leaf Market)

Types of Cauliflower Textures

Adding cauliflower to your meals can provide extra crunch and richness.

Cauliflower Textures	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
Crisp Cauliflowers	Amazing (Territorial Seed Company) Graffiti Hybrid (True Leaf Market) Song TJS-65 (True Leaf Market)
Firm Cauliflowers	Cheddar (True Leaf Market) Odysseus (Territorial Seed Company) Snowball Y Improved (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market)

Types of Geographic Origins

Like broccoli and other Brassica crops, wild cauliflower is believed to have European and Mediterranean roots.

Geographic Origins	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
European and Mediterranean Cauliflowers	Adona (Territorial Seed Company) De Jesi (Rare Seeds) Green Macerata (Rare Seeds) Purple of Sicily (Territorial Seed Company, Rare Seeds) Rober (Rare Seeds) Snowball Y Improved (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market)
North American Cauliflowers	Clementine (Territorial Seed Company) Flame Star (Territorial Seed Company)
Asian Cauliflowers	Durgesh 41 (Rare Seeds) Fioretto 70 (Territorial Seed Company)

Types of Culinary Uses

Cauliflower can be enjoyed in various ways. Simple blanching will result in a mild-tasting side. You can also stir-fry the florets, and soak them in your choice of sauce and spices.

Culinary Uses	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
Cauliflowers for Boiling/Steaming	Adona (Territorial Seed Company) De Jesi (Rare Seeds) Purple of Sicily (Territorial Seed Company, Rare Seeds) Snowball Y Improved (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market) Violetta Italia (True Leaf Market)
Cauliflowers for Sauté/Stir-fry	Amazing (Territorial Seed Company) Durgesh 41 (Rare Seeds) Fioretto 70 (Territorial Seed Company) Goodman (Territorial Seed Company) Odysseus (Territorial Seed Company)

Types of Disease Resistance

Different varieties have varying degrees of resistance toward disease. As a cool-season vegetable, cauliflower tends to suffer from Botrytis cinerea disease, black rot, and downy mildew.

Disease Resistance	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
Disease-Resistant Varieties	Adona (Territorial Seed Company)
Susceptible Varieties	Odysseus (Territorial Seed Company) Purple of Sicily (Territorial Seed Company, Rare Seeds)

Types of Preferred Growing Conditions

Before buying your cauliflower seeds, it’s important to note all varieties’ preferred growing conditions. Regular cauliflowers thrive well in cool weather and well-drained soils.

Preferred Growing Conditions	Common Examples (Where to Buy)
Container Cauliflowers	Cheddar (True Leaf Market) Flame Star (Territorial Seed Company) Snowball Y Improved (Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market)
Field and Greenhouse Cauliflowers	Amazing (Territorial Seed Company) Fioretto 70 (Territorial Seed Company) Self-Blanche (True Leaf Market) Snow Crown (Territorial Seed Company)

Popular Varieties of White Cauliflowers

Regular cauliflowers tend to have white-colored heads, which are more commercially available in North America compared to colored varieties.

Variety	Description	Days to Germination	Days to Maturity	Where to Buy
Adona	With tolerance to heat and tipburn, Adona is a wonderful white variety to grow in your garden. This dual-season cauliflower produces compact white curds with a sweet flavor.	5 to 17 days	68 to 73 days	Territorial Seed Company
Amazing	Amazing is a favorite cauliflower variety due to dense leaves that wrap around its white heads, protecting the florets from both cold and warm temperatures.	7 to 10 days	75 to 80 days	Territorial Seed Company
Fioretto 70	Considered a tropical cauliflower, Fioretto 70 is a popular variety from Asia. It can resist heat and thrive in hot conditions, even in tropical areas. If you want to extend your cauliflower harvest until summer, Fioretto 70 is an excellent choice.	5 to 17 days	60 to 65 days	Territorial Seed Company
Goodman	A cold-hardy variety, Goodman yields uniformly shaped heads with packed snow-white florets. Its durable leaves protect the heads from external factors that can ruin your crop during growing season.	4 to 10 days	65 to 70 days	Territorial Seed Company
Odysseus	Odysseus is an early-maturing cauliflower variety, growing white, 8-inch heads at best. This variety is not self-blanching, so you’ll have to manually wrap the outer leaves around the heads for extra protection.	5 to 17 days	70 to 75 days	Territorial Seed Company
Skywalker	Skywalker is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to cultivating cauliflowers. This variety grows densely packed heads with uniform color and shape. The resulting cauliflower curds can easily rival the ones in the grocery stores.	7 to 10 days	80 to 85 days	Territorial See Company
Snowball Y Improved	First introduced in 1947 by the Ferry-Morse Seed Company, Snowball Y Improved is a dependable cauliflower variety with self-blanching ability. Thick green leaves protect the packed cauliflower heads during plant growth.	8 to 10 days	70 to 80 days	Eden Brothers, True Leaf Market
Snowbowl	Snowbowl is a self-blanching hybrid variety with consistent quality of hefty cauliflower crowns.	7 to 10 days	110 to 115 days	Territorial Seed Company
Snow Crown	An All-America Selections winner, Snow Crown can yield 7- to 8-inch wide cauliflower heads, weighing anywhere from 1 to 2 pounds. Additionally, Snow Crown is an early-maturing cauliflower variety.	7 to 10 days	50 to 60 days	Territorial Seed Company
Twister	This self-blanching cauliflower variety adapts well in both hot and cool temperatures. Twister is a reliable option, growing uniform heads with ivory-white curds.	5 to 17 days	62 to 67 days	Territorial Seed Company

Popular Varieties of Colored Cauliflowers

Learn more about the unique characteristics of these well-known colored cauliflowers.

Variety	Description	Days to Germination	Days to Maturity	Where to Buy
Cheddar	The Cheddar hybrid offers vibrant cauliflower heads with a sweet, nutty flavor that further develops when roasted. Cheddar cauliflower has a bright yellow to orange color, similar to the cheese it’s named after.	7 to 10 days	70 to 75 days	True Leaf Market
Clementine	Clementine is a hybrid cauliflower variety that can add a splash of color to your garden and meals. This orange cauliflower has a sweet taste that can be enjoyed steamed or stir-fried.	5 to 17 days	70 to 75 days	Territorial Seed Company
DePurple	DePurple produces violet, domed heads about 7 inches wide under ideal conditions. The florets are versatile enough for many cooking applications.	4 to 7 days	80 to 85 days	Territorial Seed Company
Flame Star	Excellent for sowing in early spring or fall, Flame Star grows orange heads like Clementine. The resulting florets are juicy and mild.	7 to 12 days	70 to 80 days	Territorial Seed Company
Purple of Sicily	Purple of Sicily is an heirloom cauliflower variety with a large head that can reach up to 2 or 3 pounds. From generation to generation, this variety has been served in many vegetable platters due to its health benefits and mouth-watering flavor.	8 to 10 days	90 to 95 days	Territorial Seed Company, Rare Seeds

FAQ About Types of Cauliflower