Scottish growing tool
Broccoli Variety Selector: Which One For Your Garden
Every recommendation below traces back to our full Broccoli varieties comparison — this page is the fast route to one answer for your specific situation, no clicking through required.
If: Maximum winter hardiness and a genuine hungry-gap harvest → The toughest, most proven overwintering variety or Maximum winter hardiness and a genuine hungry-gap harvest → Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice or Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice
Red FireAGM
The strongest all-round choice for Scotland: it combines H5 hardiness with the most explicit overwintering language of any of the five varieties (it over-winters well and is easy to pick) on a harvest window running October to March that lands squarely in the hungry gap.
If: Maximum winter hardiness and a genuine hungry-gap harvest → A dependable H5 alternative if that one isn't available
CardinalAGM
A solid, dependable H5 option with large, deep-purple spears and a long cropping period from spring to early summer, a safe choice if Red Fire isn't available, though it doesn't carry as direct an overwintering statement.
If: Heavy yield, even if it means slightly lower hardiness
ClaretAGM
Wins if yield is the priority: it's extremely vigorous and heavy-cropping, with large tender shoots. Its H4 rating means it's hardy through most of the UK but not the harshest winters, so it's worth pairing with a sheltered spot.
If: An earlier crop I don't have to overwinter
MendocinoAGM
Suits a different goal entirely: an earlier, non-overwintered crop. Sown April to June and transplanted June to July, it can be treated as an early maincrop harvesting from July rather than held over winter.
If: I don't mind skipping the AGM badge for an early autumn crop
Red Admiral
Remains usable for an autumn-into-spring crop, vigorous and cropping from as early as November, but it carries no AGM badge and its H4 rating makes it a step down from the four AGM varieties.
Try another crop
- Angelica
- Apples
- Asparagus
- Aubergines
- Basil
- Bay
- Blackberries
- Blackcurrants
- Blueberries
- Borage
- Broad Beans
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Calabrese
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Chard
- Cherries
- Chillies
- Chives
- Comfrey
- Coriander
- Courgettes
- Cucumbers
- Damsons
- Dill
- Endive
- Florence Fennel
- French Beans
- Garlic
- Gooseberries
- Grapes
- Honeyberries
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Lavender
- Leeks
- Lemon Balm
- Lettuce
- Loganberries
- Mint
- Onions
- Oregano
- Pak Choi
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Pears
- Peas
- Peppers
- Plums
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Quince
- Radish
- Raspberries
- Redcurrants and Whitecurrants
- Rhubarb
- Rocket
- Rosemary
- Runner Beans
- Sage
- Shallots
- Sorrel
- Spinach
- Spring Onions
- Squash
- Strawberries
- Summer Savory
- Swede
- Sweetcorn
- Tarragon
- Tayberries
- Thyme
- Tomatoes
- Turnip
- Winter Savory