Beetroot: 8. A Dictionary of Cultivated Varieties

Beetroot (2004)

Stephen Nottingham

© Copyright: Stephen Nottingham 2004

8. A Dictionary of Cultivated Varieties The first section has entries for beetroot cultivars in alphabetical order. Although I have tried to make this listing reasonably comprehensive, it should be appreciated that new cultivars are continually being introduced and old one dropped from seed catalogues. A shorter alphabetical section on leaf beets follows the beetroot listing. Fodder beet and sugar beet are usually only sold to commercial operations and are therefore not included. A listing of selected seed suppliers is given at the end of the chapter. Most beetroot grown today has globe or spherical shaped roots, for example, Boltardy and Detroit. However, the first cultivated beetroot had long tapering roots and this root shape is still grown, although mainly by amateur gardeners, for example, Cheltenham Green Top and Long Red. Cylindrical, half-long or intermediate varieties also include a number of heritage varieties, but their slicing properties have made some cultivars popular for processing, for example, Cylindra and Forono. The least common beetroot shape is flat, for example, Crosby’s Egyptian. The beetroot cultivars included range from the oldest heritage or heirloom varieties, through a wide range of other open pollinated varieties, to modern F1 hybrids. Hybrids have increased seedling vigour, improved growth characteristics, and resistance to bolting and a range of diseases such as Cercospora. However, hybrids do not breed true and seed must be purchased each year. Modern hybrids are usually globe-shaped and have good, if predictable, taste characteristics. Heritage varieties provide a diversity of root shapes, colour and flavours, and a range of ornamental foliage. All the beetroot cultivars listed have multigerm seeds, unless it is specified that they are monogerm. A. Beetroot Action Action is an F1 hybrid bred by Bejo-Zaden B.V.. It has globe-shaped roots with dark red flesh and good resistance to bolting and disease. Action was introduced as a multi-purpose beetroot. Albina Vereduna Albina Vereduna, Albino Vereduna or Albinia Verecunda is a globe-shaped beetroot with smooth pale and thick skin, and pure white flesh. It is also sometimes called Albino, Albino White or Snowhite. This is an old Dutch variety that has a particularly sweet and delicate flavour, being sweeter than red beetroot, and a potato-like texture. It was one of the early beets grown for sugar production, for example, in the USA, before modern sugar beet cultivars became available. The roots are considerably smaller than those of modern sugar beet. Its nutrient-rich leaves are curled and wavy, and make for good eating. It lacks pigment and so does not stain like red beetroot. Albina Vereduna stores well in the ground, but is prone to bolting. Alvro Mono Alvro Mono is a recently introduced monogerm globe cultivar. Only one seed per seedball germinates, reducing the need for thinning. The roots have fine hairs. Recommended for early cropping. Avenger Avenger F1 is a recently introduced hybrid, bred by Harris Moran from germplasm held at the University of Wisconsin, in the USA. It has a flattened globe shape, with tall glossy tops. Avenger was bred for bunched and sale on the market as fresh greens and beetroot. Avon Early Avon Early or Avonearly is a globe-rooted British heritage variety. Grown organically at the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA) as an early season bunching crop. It has good resistance to bolting. Barabietola di Chioggia See Chioggia. Bassano Bassano is a cylindrical (half-long) beetroot. It is an heirloom Italian variety and possibly descended from Roman Beet. Bassano was one of the first varieties to be cultivated in the USA. It is ideal for producing uniform slices and has undergone a revival as a processing beet within the food industry. Big Red Big Red is a recent F1 globe hybrid, bred by W.H. Gabelman at the University of Wisconsin, USA. It has bright-green glossy leaves, dark-red flesh and a high sugar content that gives it a sweet flavour. Big Top A globe beetroot grown in the USA. Bred and sold, since 1999, by Johnny's Selected Seeds. Bikores Bikores or Red Bikores is a globe-shaped Dutch beetroot bred by Bejo-Zaden B.V. It has well-developed tops and smooth-skinned red roots with dark-red flesh. It is suitable for early sowing under cloches. It is resistant to bolting, grows quickly, and stores well. Blankoma Blankoma is a globe-rooted heirloom Dutch beetroot with ice-white flesh. The roots are round or slightly conical, with a thick skin and a very sweet flavour. It is often claimed that white-fleshed varieties taste better than red, especially by people with a sweet tooth, although their colour may be less appealing. The leaves make good eating when cooked. Bolivar Bolivar is a maincrop globe cultivar, bred and marketed by Nunhems Zaden since 1989. It is good for late season cropping and was bred specifically for processing. Bolivar has well-developed tops and round uniform smooth-skinned roots, which are deep red internally. It is resistant to bolting. Bolivar is related to Detroit 2 Bolivar, which are harvested as minibeets. Blood Red See Long Blood Red. Bluto Bluto is a large globe beetroot, usually grown as a maincrop. It has deep red flesh with a fine texture. Good storage properties. Boltardy Boltardy is a very popular and reliable globe-shaped beetroot. It was first introduced in the early 1960s. Boltardy is a tried-and-tested cultivar, which is used as a yardstick against which other beetroot are measured. Plant breeders, for instance, assess the bolting resistance of new cultivars in comparison to it. Boltardy can be sown early (March) due to its good resistance to bolting. It has medium-sized and evenly-shaped globular roots, with smooth skin and deep red flesh. It has a good texture, without visible zones or rings, and a fresh sweet flavour. It is often exhibited and grows well in containers. In Australia, it may be known as Melbourne Early Slowbolt. Bonel Bonel is a globe-rooted beetroot with good resistance to bolting. It has upright foliage, making thinning and picking easier. It has smooth deep-red flesh, with little zoning or pith. It is relatively high yielding and crops over a long period. Bull’s Blood This globe-shaped beetroot was listed pre-1900 in England. It is probably the only decorative-leafed Victorian beetroot variety surviving. It is mainly grown as an ornamental in gardens, but is also good to eat. Its dark crimson leaves can appear almost black in some light, making a dramatic contrast to most other foliage. The leaves are broader than other beetroot varieties and have a particularly sweet taste when cooked. The medium-sized spherical roots are also dark red, with visible rings when cut. They are tender and have a good flavour when young, although they can become tough with age. Burpee’s Golden Burpee's Golden or Golden is a globe-rooted beetroot with distinctive gold-yellow flesh and a golden-orange skin colour. It is North American in origin and has been grown since at least the start of the nineteenth century. It was bred and introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company of Warminster, Pennsylvania, USA. The roots have distinct darker rings when cut transversely. The young leaves are bright green, being particularly good to eat when cooked and served like spinach. Burpee's Golden is often grown mainly for its colour, but it is has a good flavour that is just like red beetroot. It is best harvested when small, although it eats well even when the roots get large. The flesh retains its distinctive colour when cooked, changing slightly to a golden-yellow or deep yellow colour, and does not bleed like red beetroot. It is recommended that this variety be sown a little thicker than normal because it has an inherently lower germination rate. Modern golden-fleshed cultivars, such as Golden Beet, are primarily derived from Burpee's Golden. These lines store well and are resistant to bolting. Burpee Redhart Introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company,Pennsylvania, USA, in 1953. A flattened globe beetroot selected from Crosby's Egyptian. Its roots are uniform in shape and dark-red in colour. Burpee White Introduced by the W. Atlee Burpee Company, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1952. A white globe beetroot, with rattail-like green tops and white-fleshed roots. Sweeter than red beetroot. Cardenal A globe-shaped beetroot, bred by Petoseed and introduced in 1978. It was selected from a line of Ruby Queen. Cardenal has tops around 30 cm tall, and smooth-skinned roots that lack fibre or zoning and have bright dark-red flesh. Carillon A cylindrical, long-rooted cultivar with dark red flesh colour. It has good resistance to bolting and can be sown early. Carillon has smooth skin and is good for slicing. Centurion A globe cultivar bred by Seminis Vegetable Seeds-Petoseed and introduced in 1999. It has been grown in the USA and France. Similar to Little Ball (Detroit), it is early maturing, with well-developed tops and blood-red flesh. The roots do not bleed to the same extent as most other red beetroot. Chariot Chariot is an F1 hybrid, introduced by Seminis Vegetable Seeds-Petoseed in 1999. It has upright foliage for bunching and uniform globe-shaped roots with blood-red flesh. It is late maturing and similar to Red Ace. It has been grown in several northern states of the USA. Cheltenham Green Top Cheltenham Green Top or Cheltenham Greentop is one of the most popular long-rooted beetroot cultivars grown today. It is an old variety, which has been around since well before the 1880s in England. Cheltenham Green Top has long deep-purple tapering roots with a conical crown. It has a lower germination rate than most beetroot. The roots can reach 15 cm in circumference and 23 cm in length. The skin is rough and the flesh has a slightly coarse texture, but an excellent flavour. It stores well. The cooked roots are bright root and good for slicing. Cheltenham Monogerm A modern long-rooted monogerm, bred from Cheltenham Green Top. It is resistant to bolting and requires little thinning. Chicago Red Long-rooted cultivar bred by W. Atlee Burpee Company. It has purple-red flesh that is particularly sweet. Chioggia Chioggia or Barabietola di Chioggia is a globe-shaped heirloom Italian variety, with a slightly flattened shape. It was described by the 1840s and originated from market gardens around Venice. It is also sold under a range of other names, including or Tonda di Chioggia, Chioggia Pink or dolce di Chioggia. It has a rosy or orange-pink outer skin, with a distinctive dartboard pattern when cut transversely. For this reason it is sometimes known as Bull's Eye Beet or Candy Stripe Beet. Bands of white flesh alternate with bands of pink or rosy red. The pattern tends to fade toward a soft pink when cooked. It has attractive dark-green leaves with ruby-red stems that have a mild flavour when raw or cooked. Chioggia is grown today mainly for its unusual colouring, but it has a mild and sweet flavour. The flavour is not to everyone's taste. Some say it is delicious, others insipid. They are best eaten when young. Modern lines are resistant to bolting. Citation Citation is a globe cultivar introduced in the early 1960s by the Northrup King Company, Minneapolis, USA. It has bright-green tops, and small, very smooth and round roots, that are suited for shipping over distance. Cook's Delight Cook's Delight is a heritage cylindrical (half-long) beetroot, with roots having a characteristic tankard shape. It has very dark red leaves and, in the past, was often grown as an ornamental. The roots are best when picked small and eaten young, although they store well and retain a good flavour when mature. Covent Garden Covent Garden is a globe-rooted English heritage variety. It is cultivated at the HDRA in England. Crapaudine The long-rooted Crapaudine or Rouge Crapaudine is one of the oldest known beetroot varieties. It is from France, where it is also known as Betterave Rouge Ecorce au Crapaudine. In English, it has also been called Rough-skinned Beetroot or Red Beetroot. It appears in a number of seed catalogues around 1890, but was known for many years before this. It is distinctive due to its almost black pock-marked and rough skin, which is broken by small cracks and crevices. It has long irregularly-formed roots, which are sometimes described as misshapen. The flesh is red, firm and sweet. It crops late in the season and can be sown to harvest late in the autumn or early winter in areas with a milder climate, such as southern France. Crimson Globe See Detroit Crimson Globe. Crimson King A Detroit-derived medium to large globe cultivar. Crosby Green Top Bred from Crosby's Egyptian and introduced in 1951 by the Joseph Harris Company, of Rochester in the state of New York, USA. It has well-developed green tops that can thrive under adverse conditions. Crosby's Egyptian Crosby's Egyptian or Mr. Crosby's Early Egyptian is an American introduction that was first recorded growing near Boston around 1869. The seed was introduced to the market around 1880. It may have been bred from Egyptian beetroot earlier in the seventeenth century, but it is distinct from Egyptian Flat or Turnip-rooted Egyptian. Crosby's Egyptian, however, shares with this variety rapid early season growth and a resistance to bolting. The smooth-skinned roots are thicker and rounder than Egyptian beetroot, being a flattened heart shape. The glossy-green tops form abundant greens. Early Wonder, a very popular variety in the USA, was bred from Crosby's Egyptian. Cylindra Cylindra is a cylindrical (half-long or stump-rooted) beetroot. It is an old Danish variety; recorded by 1840 and widely grown by 1880. The tops are small and matte reddish-green in colour. The red carrot-like roots are tapered, with a blunt cylinder shape, and are smooth-skinned with dark purple-red flesh. The roots grow 15 to 20 cm (6-8 inches) long, with up to half of their length above ground. Cylindra has tender flesh, with a sweet flavour. The roots are ideal for cutting into uniform slices (it is sometimes called Butter Slicer). It matures a little more slowly than globe-shaped beetroot, but because of its cylindrical root shape can be closely planted to give high yields within small areas. It is best watered regularly to avoid bolting and root hollowness. It is tolerant of downy mildew. Cylindra stores well over winter. Some listings erroneously consider Cylindra and Formanova to be the same variety. Cyndor Cyndor is a cylindrical cultivar, with mid-green matte foliage, and red blunt-cylinder roots having dark-red flesh. It is tolerant to bolting and resists curved root. Darko A globe cultivar, bred by the French-based Vilmorin company. It has bright-red flesh and good resistance to bolting. Derwent Globe Derwent Globe is a globe-shaped dark-red beetroot. It was developed by the Yates company, as Derwentside in Tasmania in the 1920s. Grown by gardeners in Australia. Detroit Detroit or Detroit Globe is a flattish globe-rooted beetroot with dark red roots. It has been popular since its first introduction in the 1890s. Modern lines of Detroit include Detroit Dark Red, Detroit Short Top, Detroit Globe, Crimson Globe, Crimson Ball, Crimson King and Ruby Ball. The D.M. Ferry Seed Company first introduced Detroit in 1892, in the state of Michigan, USA. It was bred from a variety described as an early maturing European Blood Turnip (Long Red). Today, Detroit is one of the most popular varieties grown commercially and in gardens in the USA. It is a good maincrop beetroot for late season, with mature roots that store well, while also being good as a summer crop with its roots harvested young. It may go under different names as a winter and summer crop. The tops are short and grow thickly. The leaves have red veins and are good to eat when young. The roots are smooth-skinned and bright purple-red when cooked, with a sweet flavour. Its large symmetrical roots are popular with exhibitors. In addition to being a popular fresh market variety in the USA, it is one of the beetroot most commonly used for processing, especially canning. Modern lines are moderately tolerant of Cercospora leaf spot and downy mildew. A number of distinct cultivars and hybrids have been bred from the original Detroit stock, some of which are listed below. Detroit Bolivar Detroit 2 Bolivar or Bolivar is a golf ball sized baby beet, with tender flesh. It is resistant to bolting. Detroit Crimson Globe Detroit 2 Crimson Globe is a popular improved Detroit globe beetroot with a rich maroon colouring. It is recommended as a good cultivar to use for succession sowings. Detroit Dark Red See Detroit. Detroit Globe 2 A globe beetroot, bred from Detroit, and recently introduced by Sutton's Seeds, England. It has dark-crimson roots having good texture. Detroit Little Ball Detroit 2 Little Ball is a smooth-skinned baby or mini-beet. It has dark red flesh with distinct pale rings. It is ideal for pickling. Little Ball is fast-growing, resistant to bolting, and a good for late sowing and storing. Detroit Lora Detroit 2 Lora is an early maturing and high-yielding globe-shaped beetroot. Detroit Short Top See Detroit. Detroit Supreme Detroit 2 Supreme is a medium-sized globe beetroot, introduced in the 1980s by the Alf Christianson company. The smoothed-skinned dark-red roots have no visible internal zoning. Bred from Detroit Dark Red and tolerant to fungal diseases. Detroit Tardel Detroit 2 Tardel is a mini or baby beet cultivar with spherical and golf ball sized roots and tender flesh. It has good tolerance to bolting and can be sown early. It is ideal for pickling or freezing. Detroit Rubidus Detroit 6 Rubidus is a recent F1 hybrid, bred to be have virtually no bolting. It can be harvested a week earlier than Boltardy. Bred by Thompson and Morgan (England), it has a firm smooth skin and deep red fibreless flesh. Devoy Devoy is a British heritage variety (not on registered seed lists). It has long roots and red foliage. The roots have sweet dark-pink flesh. It remains tender even when grown large. The roots store well over winter. A white form (White Devoy) has been bred from Devoy, having broad irregular long roots with pure white flesh. Dobbie's Purple Dobbie's Purple is a heritage variety with long tapering roots that can be eaten when fully mature. It was first bred by the Dobbies seed company, in England, in the early 1900s. It is still available through the Henry Doubleday Research Association's Heritage Seed Library. The foliage and roots are purple and it can grow very large. Doree Doree is a traditional golden-fleshed globe variety. It has a very sweet flavour and smooth texture when cooked. Doree is good for pickling. Dwergina Dwergina is a small globe variety. It has a deep red flesh-colour and is good for pickling. Early Blood Early Blood is a long turnip-shaped beetroot that is a heritage variety from the USA, dating back to at least 1825. It has dark red flesh, with occasional pink patches, and a sweet flavour. Early Bunch Early Bunch is a globe variety with deep red flesh. It has very good bolting resistance. A good early-season crop, although less successful as a main or late crop. Early Wonder Early Wonder or Early Wonder Tall Top is a globe beetroot, with large thick roots having a slightly flattened globe shape. It is a North American introduction that was described around 1880, but it was probably first introduced much earlier in the seventeenth century than this in the USA. Its origins are linked to Crosby's Egyptian beetroot, although, like Crosby's Egyptian, its main connection to Egyptian beetroot (below) is that it also matures early in the summer. It is less highly coloured than Egyptian and most other varieties of beetroot. Early Wonder remains very popular in the USA. The leaves are bright dark-green with red stems and the tops are abundant and tall. The greens of this variety are tender and are particularly good to eat. It has good resistance to bolting and is good for both early sowing and as a maincrop. Early Wonder grows relatively quickly in cool soils, in spring or autumn, and is popular as a general use beetroot. Early Wonder Staysgreen A globe cultivar bred by the Northrup King Company in the early 1960s, from a selected line of Early Wonder. It has improved leaf colour and tops that stay green longer than other cultivars during cool weather. Eastern Wonder Eastern Wonder is a flattened globe cultivar, introduced in the USA in 1953 by the Eastern States Farmers Exchange of Massachusetts. It is similar to Early Wonder, but adapted to sandy loam soils. Egyptian Egyptian, Egyptian Flat Rooted or Egyptian Turnip Rooted beetroot is an old variety, with a variable root shape. It was first described in the early 1800s and was common in seed catalogues from 1870. The type originated in Egypt. In France, it is known as Betterave Rouge Noir Plate d'Egypte. It is quick growing, very early maturing, and resistant to bolting. It is good for early summer salads. Egyptian beetroot has large, often heart-shaped roots with deep red flesh. It is recommended for shallow soils and cold frames, and can be grown closer together than most heritage varieties because it does not develop a large top. Egyptian is particularly good eaten raw, for instance, grated in salads. Formanova Formanova is a cylindrical (half-long) cultivar, bred by L. Daehnfeldt, of Odense in Denmark. It was introduced to the market in 1963. Formanova is a popular cultivar in Scandinavia. It has dark-red sweet-tasting flesh, with little zoning. Formanova is excellent for processing (canning and freezing) and can be cropped late in the season. It is similar to Cylindra and is sometimes referred to as Cylindra Formanova. Forono Forono is a medium to long, tankard-shaped, cylindrical (half-long) beetroot that has a good flavour and yields well. The shoulders of the roots can push up above ground level. Soil can be pushed back against the root to keep a smooth skin. When cooked, Forono produces uniform dark-red slices. It stores well and is good for processing (canning and pickling). It is susceptible to bolting, so is best sown from mid-summer onwards. It has a full, rounded "earthy" beetroot flavour. Feuer Kugel This long-rooted red beetroot originates in Switzerland. It is smooth-skinned, and stays tender and sweet to maturity. Feuer Kugel is now a relatively rare cultivar. Generally considered to be distinct from the more popular Kugel cultivar. Garnet A globe cultivar bred by Pieters-Wheeler Seed Compamy, California, USA, and released in 1964. It is similar to Detroit Dark Red, with smooth-skinned roots that have very dark red flesh and little zoning. Gladiator A globe cultivar, introduced in the 1970s by the Northrup King Company. Similar to Ruby Queen. Golden See Burpee's Golden. Golden Beet See Burpee's Golden. Green Top Bunching Green Top Bunching is a somewhat flattened globe beetroot, introduced by the Ferry-Morse Company, California, USA, around 1940. It has short tops having abundant green red-veined leaves that retain their colour during cool weather. The leaves make good eating when cooked and hold their colour well. The roots are dark-red, sweet and tender when cooked. This is used as a general purpose cultivar, which can be sown into late July for an autumn harvest. It is resistant to powdery mildew. Ivax Ivax is a globe monogerm hybrid, bred and sold since 1991 by Nunhems. It has upright foliage and roots with red-red flesh. July Globe A red globe-shaped beetroot dating from the 1930s. It is rare today. Kestrel Kestrel is an F1 hybrid globe beetroot introduced by Alf Christianson in the USA. It has bright green foliage, and roots with a dark-red flesh and high sugar content. It is tolerant to a range of fungal diseases. King Red A globe cultivar introduced by the Northrup King Company, Minneapolis, in the USA in 1952. It was bred from a line of Detroit. King Red has short tops, rounder roots and smoother crowns than Detroit, and is adapted to peat and high nitrogen soils. Kugel A Detroit-derived globe beetroot, grown as a maincrop. The roots are a deep red colour and they are said to store well. Libero A recent Dutch introduction, this smooth-skinned globe-shaped beetroot has good resistance to bolting and is suitable for early sowing. The roots are crimson or dark-red. Libero also matures rapidly and is a good maincrop for winter storage. It is fast growing and high yielding. Little Ball See Detroit Little Ball. Long Blood Red Long Blood Red or Long Red is an American beetroot with a long deeply-buried root, which is prone to forking. Vilmorin described it in 1885. It has dropped off approved seed lists, but is still available as an heirloom or heritage variety. Long Red See Long Blood Red. Lutz Green Leaf A globe heirloom variety with light-green glossy foliage, with pink midribs, and half-long roots having purple flesh. Can grow large and retain good beetroot sweetness and texture. Good for late season cultivation and winter storage. It is tolerant to bolting and fungal diseases. MacGregor's Favourite An old Scottish heirloom variety with long tapering roots that have distinct rounded shoulders. The leaves are narrower (spear-shaped) than for most beetroot, being excellent to eat and shiny-red in colour, curving outwards in a sickle-like shape from the crown. MacGregor's Favourite has often been grown as an ornamental. The roots are deep-red, with good texture and flavour. Mammoth Long Mammoth Long is a long-rooted beetroot, with smooth skin, very dark red flesh and a sweet flavour. It is available from W. Robinson & Sons, located near Preston in England. Modella A recently introduced monogerm red globe cultivar. No thinning required. Good bolting resistance. Monaco A globe mini-beet that is harvested young. Moneta Moneta is a modern monogerm globe beetroot. It has good resistance to bolting, and therefore can be sown early. It needs no thinning, because each seedball only produces one plant. It has uniform smooth-skinned roots that are deep crimson in colour. Mono King Burgundy A monogerm globe cultivar, bred by the Northrup King company and introduced in 1971. It has medium top growth and a small crown. Monogram Monogram is a monogerm beetroot raised by Dr. C.R. Dawson and introduced by Tozers of Cobham, England. It requires less thinning because only one plant is produced per seedball. It has good resistance to bolting and can be sown early. It has smooth skinned globe-shaped roots, which are slightly flattened and deep-red in colour. Monopoly Monopoly is a monogerm cultivar, with spherical to slightly flattened globe roots. The flesh is purplish-red, often with distinct pale rings. Monopoly has a rough skin and is resistant to bolting. It stores well. Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge or Moulin Rouge Mini Beet is a globe-shaped baby or mini beet. It is usually harvested when the roots are between 4 and 5 cm in diameter, although it will grow to around 8 cm in diameter. It is monogerm, with each ?seed? having only one viable true seed, which reduces the need for thinning. Mr. Crosby's Egyptian See Crosby's Egyptian. Nobol Nobol is a French globe cultivar, related to Boltardy. Resistant to bolting. Pablo Pablo F1 Hybrid is a globe-shaped Dutch hybrid, bred by Bejo-Zaden. The roots are smooth-skinned with dark-red flesh that has no rings or zoning. It is resistant to bolting. The roots mature and store without becoming woody. It is a multi-purpose beetroot, which is gaining in popularity and is favoured for exhibition. Preco A globe cultivar bred by the French-based Vilmorin company. It has well-developed tops and roots with deep red flesh. Pronto Pronto is a recent open pollinated globe introduction. It is recommended as a mini-beet, with the roots harvested when ping-pong ball size, but the roots can grow large. The roots are smooth-skinned with red flesh. When very small, they are good steamed whole or pickled. Pronto can be sown from mid-summer onwards. Red Ace Red Ace F1 is a well-established globe-rooted hybrid, introduced by the Alf Christianson Seed Company in 1981. It displays hybrid vigour and has a better germination rate, faster spring growth, more uniform root shape, and a greater degree of resistance to disease such as Cercospora than most beetroot. It performs well under dry conditions and resists bolting, enabling it to be sown early. It can be grown as a maincrop with regular, round to oval roots that have a deep unblemished red colour without rings. The bright green leaves hold their quality during the summer and can be cooked at an age when the greens of many other beetroot have gone past the eating stage. The roots are sweet-tasting due to a relatively high sugar content. It is a popular show variety. Red Arrow Red Arrow F1 is a modern globe-rooted hybrid. It has upright leaves and roots with dark rings. Red Ball Red Ball is a globe cultivar, with tender greens and small dark-red fleshed roots. It has been bred to produce good mini-beets. Red Dart A globe cultivar introduced by the Northrup King company in 1979. It has an upright short top, and small roots with very dark-red flesh. Has only been grown in the USA. Red Bikores See Bikores. Red Russian A long-rooted cultivar bred by W. Atlee Burpee and Company, in the USA. The purple-red flesh is particularly sweet. Red Velvet A globe cultivar introduced by Petoseed in 1994, in the USA. It has green tops, smooth-skinned rots with dark-purple flesh. Red Purple is similar to Red Ace, matures early and has resistance to powdery mildew. Redpack A globe cultivar, bred for processing by Wes Hansche, in Wisconsin, USA, and sold by Asgrow Seeds since 1965. Regala A globe-shaped beetroot raised by Bejo-Zaden B.V., which has relatively small roots even when mature. The leaves are green and rather small. The root flesh is very dark, purplish-red with fairly distinct zones. Regala is resistant to bolting and grows well in containers. Also listed as Regalia in some sources. Rocket Rocket is a long-rooted beetroot. Smooth-skinned and red fleshed. It is now relatively rare. Roman Beet The beetroot from which many modern beetroot cultivars are ultimately derived. Distributed around Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. No longer existing as a distinct variety. Rosette Rosette is an globe-rooted F1 hybrid, sold by Asgrow Seeds since 1992. Dark green leaf and red roots have little zoning. Rouge Crapaudine See Crapaudine. Royal Delight A globe cultivar bred by Abbott and Cobb in the USA, and introduced to the market in 1982. It has uniform roots with deep red flesh and little zoning. Royal Red Royal Red is a globe cultivar, bred by the Northrup King Company from Detroit parentage and introduced in 1962. The medium-sized roots are smooth-skinned, dark-red fleshed, and have their globe shape flattened at the base. Ruby Queen Ruby Queen is a globe cultivar, bred by the Northrup King Company, Minneapolis, USA, in the 1950s. It has short tops with dull green leaves having some maroon colouration. The roots are bright red with smooth skins and shoulders. When cooked the roots are sweet with a buttery texture, and have a uniform bright dark-red appearance with no zoning. Ruby Queen is popular in the Northeast USA as a fresh market and canning beet. It performs well in poor soils. Sangria Sangria is a globe cultivar, introduced by Petoseed in the USA in the 1980s. It has tall green tops and very smooth roots with dark purple flesh. Seneca Detroit A globe cultivar bred by the Robson Seed Corporation, New York State, USA, and introduced in their seed catalogue of 1951. It has a tall top, and uniformly round roots with intense red flesh and low fibre. It is resistant to boron deficiencies. Grown in the Northwest USA, particularly Oregon. Smooth Crosby A globe cultivar, bred from Tall Top Wonder by the Eastern States Farmers Exchange, Massachusetts, USA, and introduced in their catalogue of 1956. It has tall tops with smooth leaf blades, and smooth-skinned red roots with little zoning. It matures early. Snowhite Snowhite or Snow White is a globe variety with pale white flesh. It has distinctive curly and very waxy leaves. Solo A monogerm globe F1 hybrid, bred by Alf Christianson. Grown in the USA. It has dark green glossy leaves and dark-red fleshed roots. Solo matures early and is resistant to fungal diseases. Sweetheart A heart-shaped globe cultivar, bred by A.F. Yeager and E.M. Meader, at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experimental Station, USA, by crossing a sugar beet with Detroit Dark Red. The large roots are as sweet as sugar beet. Introduced in the late 1940s and only ever grown in a few northern states of the USA. Tall Top Early A flattened globe beetroot, with purple-red flesh. Introduced by the D.M. Ferry seed company in the USA. Tardel See Detroit 2 Tardel. Tonda di Chioggia See Chioggia. White Devoy See Devoy. Warrior Warrior is globe-rooted F1 hybrid, bred by the Joseph Harris Seed Company in 1979. It is fast-growing, with smooth round roots. A popular commercial beet for processing in the USA. Wodan Wodan F1 hybrid was bred by Thompson and Morgan and introduced in their 2004 catalogue. It is a globe beetroot with bright red flesh that can be harvested as baby or mature beets. Mature beets do not go fibrous and store well. Young leaves can be eaten as spinach. Yellow Intermediate Mangel A mangel that is also eaten as a beetroot. A heirloom French beet, listed by Vilmorin-Andrieux in 1885. Available from the HDRA Heritage Seed Library. The tapering orange-yellow skinned, white-flashed roots grow large without loss of their sweet flavour. The leaves can be eaten steamed like chard. The roots keep well. Ukrainian A cultivar formerly in the Unwins seed catalogue, but now only available as a heritage variety. Larger staple crop beetroot. B. Leaf Beets Bright Lights Bright Lights or Bright Lights Swiss Chard is a recent introduction. It is bred from Chilean beets and has stems or leaf mid-ribs (petioles) in white, pink, red, purple, orange and yellow, and shades in between these colours. Bright Lights has been improved for a milder flavour and its flavour is milder than for other chards. The leaf blades are medium to green, sometimes bronzed, and savoyed (crinkled). Leaves and leaf ribs can be cooked together or separately. Its multicoloured mid-ribs make it a popular decorative addition to the vegetable garden. Watering well while young minimizes bolting. Bright Yellow A chard with dark green leaves and distinctive yellow stems or mid-ribs and veins. Young leaves can be picked and the plant will regrow them like perpetual spinach. Often grown as an ornamental. Charlotte A Swiss chard with red leaf mid-ribs or petioles and green leaf blades. Chilean Beet A collection of coloured chards that have been primarily grown as ornamentals. Erbette A type of spinach beet or perpetual spinach from Italy. It can be continually cut throughout the growing season for greens, which have good taste and texture. Fordhook Giant Fordhook Giant is a British Swiss Chard variety, introduced in 1934. It has thick white leaf midribs or stems, with large glossy green leaves that are highly crinkled or savoyed in appearance. It is high yielding and can supply greens throughout a growing season. It is considered synonymous with Dark Green Lucullus. Lucullus Lucullus is one of the oldest improved Chard varieties and was named after the Roman general Lucullus. It has white stalks or leaf mid-ribs. The leaf blades are heavily crinkled or savoyed. Tall, prolific and can be autumn planted. Tolerant of high temperatures and highly resistant to bolting. If left to grow as a biennial even the flower stalks can be eaten, like sprouting broccoli. Perpetual Spinach See Spinach Beet. Rainbow Chard Rainbow Chard is an ornamental strain of chard, which dates back to Victorian times in Britain. However, the leaves are good to eat. It was nearly lost, but has regained in popularity. The leaf midribs have orange, yellow, pink, red and white stalks. It is sometimes called Five Colour Silverbeet. Rainbow Chard is also sometimes considered the same as Bright Lights Swiss Chard, but the latter is strictly an improved modern introduction. Rhubarb Chard Rhubarb Chard or Ruby Chard is a heritage chard variety, first introduced to gardeners in the USA in 1857. It is listed in seed catalogues from 1885. Rhubarb Chard has bright red (deep crimson) leaf midribs (petioles) or stems and leaf veins. The rest of the leaves are a glossy dark-green and crumpled in appearance. Ornamental and culinary, dating from a time when there was less division between flower beds and vegetable garden. It is relatively prone to bolting. Ruby Red Ruby Red is an improved Swiss Chard with red (candy-apple red) stems or leaf mid-ribs. The leaves are dark green or reddish green and red and green leaf veins, and heavily crinkled. The stems and leaves have a relatively sweet taste. Sometimes considered to be synonymous with Rhubarb Chard. Spinach Beet Spinach Beet or Perpetual spinach is a leaf beet with large smooth dark-green leaf blades and small leaf midribs. In its modern form, it was introduced in Europe in 1869. Young leaves can be picked and the plant will regrow them. It is highly resistant to bolting and can be continuously harvested all year around. Spinach beet also has good resistance to drought. The leaves can be cooked like spinach, but have a milder taste. It can produce more fresh greens per unit area than probably any other vegetable. Swiss Chard Swiss chard is a leaf beet characterized by thickened stems and leaf mid-ribs or petioles. It is also known as seakale beet. The earliest chards probably had white mid-ribs, but Swiss chards with colourful mid-ribs have been known since Ancient times. The leaves are usually glossy dark green and the tops grow to around 45 cm in height. Swiss Chard Bright Lights See Bright Lights. Vulcan A Swiss Chard cultivar with red stems or mid-ribs and dark green, sweet-tasting leaves. C. Selected Seed Suppliers eseeds (Canada) http://www.eseeds.com/ Chilterns Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulveston, Cumbria LA12 7PB, UK. Mr. Fothergill?s Seeds, Gazeley Road, Kentford, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7QB, UK. The Heritage Seed Library, Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA), Ryton, Coventry CV8 3LG, UK. (British heritage varieties) E.W. King, Monk's Farm, Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex CO5 9PG, UK. Nichols Garden Nursery, Albany, Oregon, USA. The Organic Gardening Catalogue, Chase Organics, Riverdene Business Park, Molesey Road, Hersham, Surrey KT12 4RG, UK. Plants of Distinction (UK) http://www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk W. Robinson & Sons, Forton, Nr. Preston, Lancs. PR3 0BN, UK. Suffolk Seeds, Monk's Farm, Essex, UK. Sutton's Seeds, Woodview Road, Paignton, Devon TQ4 7NG, UK. Thomas Etty Esq., 45 Forde Avenue, Bromley, Kent BR1 3EU, UK. Thompson & Morgan, Poplar Lane, Ipswich IP8 3BU, UK, http://www.thompson-morgan.com Thompson & Morgan USA, PO Box 1308. Jackson, New Jersey 08527-0308, USA. Van Hage Garden Company, Great Amwell, Herts. SG12 9RP, UK (British and Dutch varieties) D. Selected Bibliography Wehner, T.C. (1996) Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America: Beets, Lists 1-26 Combined (ed. I. Goldman), http://cuke.hort.ncsu.edu/cucurbit/wehner/vegcult/beet.html

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