Hon Tsai Tai

Latin name: Brassica rapa

🌱 Days to Sprout: 7-14 

😋 Plant food: after true leaves 

✂️ Thin to: 1 plant per yCube

🍅 Days to Maturity: 40-50

💡 Light Zone: Moderate

📏 Plant Size: 1 ft

💚 Care Level: Intermediate

Hon Tsai Tai, sometimes called purple choy sum or flowering broccoli, is a unique variety of greens difficult to find outside of Asian markets. It is a descendent of Chinese flowering cabbage and is closely related to yu choy greens.

This beautiful plant is entirely edible from the purple stems to the dark green leaves, including the tasty, yellow flowers. The blooms are very popular among chefs and, along with the shoots, are quite tender. Hon Tsai Tai is similar to broccoli rabe, but has a sweeter flavor and more delicate texture.

Enjoy every part of the plant, raw or cooked, as a delicious addition to salads, stir-fries, and pasta dishes.

✂️ Pruning: Since Hon Tsai Tai has a robust root system, we suggest checking the roots monthly and trimming any that are brown or extending past the yPod. Hon Tsai Tai needs minimal pruning when harvested regularly. Snip any yellow or brown leaves if they appear. 

🥦 Harvest: For ongoing harvest of sweet and tender leaves, snip the outer leaves just above the base of the plant once they reach 4 inches tall to let the inner leaves continue to grow. Leave 1/3 of the plant if you want it to keep growing.

Harvest the long, thin, red-purple flower stems when they reach 8-10 inches long and the flowers just begin to bloom. These stems should snap away from the plant easily; those that do not are over-mature and may be more fibrous.

Our Plant Health & Nutrition Team thoroughly tests each variety we offer to bring you the most flavorful and high-quality plants. We regularly rotate our plant portfolio, so please note, availability varies.