Chard stands up to cold well, but white-stemmed varieties tend to be the hardiest and most productive, which makes them the better choice in colder places. Red-stemmed ones are more prone to boltingA plant switching early into flowering and seed production, usually triggered by stress, after which leaves, roots or bulbs turn bitter or unusable. Full page →. A few coloured varieties buck that, so you don't have to give up colour to get a reliable crop in Scotland.
Quick answer
Fordhook Giant, white-stemmed and productive, with leaves through the winter. Bright Yellow or Charlotte for coloured stems that are slow to bolt. Bright Lights for a rainbow, on free-drainingSoil that lets water pass through quickly rather than pooling, so roots aren't sitting in wet ground after rain. Full definition → ground.
What Scotland means for the choice
Chard sown in July gives leaves through winter and again in spring, so how well a variety overwinters matters. The five AGMThe RHS's Award of Garden Merit: a UK-wide trials award for reliable performance, not a Scotland-specific recommendation. Full definition → varieties are all rated H3The RHS's H1a–H7 scale for how much cold a plant can survive outdoors, H1a being tender indoor-only and H7 hardy anywhere in the UK. Full definition →, hardy to about -5°C in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK. Inland and upland gardens can get colder than that (check your frost dates), so white stems, a clocheA small, portable clear cover placed over an individual plant or short row to trap warmth and keep off wind, rain and pests. Full definition → or fleeceA lightweight, breathable fabric laid or draped over plants to trap a little warmth and keep off frost, wind and some flying pests. Full definition → in the hardest weather, and free-draining ground all help. The chard growing guide covers sowing, protecting and picking.
| Variety | Stems | Hardiness | Stands out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordhook Giant | White | H3 | Vigorous and productive; picked through winter until March |
| White Silver | White | Not stated | Robust, large glossy leaves; good early-winter cropping |
| Bright Yellow | Golden yellow | H3 | Slow to bolt; good winter hardiness |
| Charlotte | Dark red | H3 | Very good resistance to bolting |
| Rhubarb Chard | Bright red | H3 | Very ornamental, with puckered leaves |
| Bright Lights | Red, yellow and orange | H3 | Rainbow colours; hardy only where soil isn't too wet |
All except White Silver hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), a UK-wide award rather than a Scottish one.
Fordhook Giant and White Silver
Fordhook Giant is the default: a vigorous, productive white-stemmed chard with puckered leaves. Sown in July, it can be picked right through winter until March. White Silver is another robust white-stemmed variety, with large, glossy leaves on thick stems and good early-winter cropping, but without the AGM.
Bright Yellow and Charlotte, for colour
Bright Yellow has golden stems and is "slow to bolt", with good winter hardiness, and it's one of two varieties Gardener's World recommends for overwinteringKeeping a plant alive and intact through the cold months, whether left outdoors, moved under cover, or stored dormant. Full definition →. Charlotte has dark green leaves with red veins and stalks and "very good resistance to bolting". It's sometimes sold as rhubarb chard, but it's a separate variety from Rhubarb Chard, whose bright red stalks are very ornamental but come with no bolt resistance. If you want red stems that hold, buy Charlotte by name.
Bright Lights
Bright Lights gives red, yellow and orange stems from one packet, and it's the other variety recommended for overwintering, but only "in areas where the soil is not too wet". In a wet part of Scotland, grow it in a raised bed or container, or treat it as a summer crop.
Which one for your situation
- A cold or exposed plot, and leaves through winter: Fordhook Giant.
- Colour that won't bolt: Bright Yellow, or Charlotte for red.
- A rainbow, on free-draining ground or in a container: Bright Lights.
- A border or ornamental bed: Rhubarb Chard or Bright Lights.
Variety makes little difference to pests: watch for slugs, grey mould (botrytis), downy mildew and beet leaf miner on any of them.
Common questions
Is white-stemmed chard hardier?
Generally, yes. White-stemmed varieties tend to be the hardiest and most productive, a good choice in colder places. Bright Yellow and Charlotte are coloured exceptions that are slow to bolt.
Are Rhubarb Chard and Charlotte the same?
No. They're separate varieties, both with the AGM, and only Charlotte has very good resistance to bolting.
Which chard is best to overwinter in Scotland?
Fordhook Giant, which can be picked through winter until March. Bright Yellow is a good coloured choice, and Bright Lights overwinters only where the soil isn't too wet.
Sources
Show the 7 sources
- How to Grow Chard: Recommended varieties and descriptions; white-stemmed varieties hardiest and most productive, a good choice in colder locations; July sowing for leaves the following spring
- Beta vulgaris 'Fordhook Giant': H3, productivity, picking through winter until March
- Beta vulgaris 'Bright Yellow': AGM, H3, slow to bolt, winter hardiness
- Beta vulgaris 'Charlotte': H3, bolt resistance
- Beta vulgaris 'Rhubarb Chard': H3, stems and leaves
- Beta vulgaris 'Bright Lights': H3, hardy only where soil is not too wet
- How to Grow Swiss Chard: Red-stemmed varieties more prone to bolting; Bright Yellow and Bright Lights for overwintering; White Silver early-winter cropping