Welcome to The Green Leaf Nursery Nursery

 Piracicaba is actually a unique, heat-tolerant "broccoli" from Brazil that is a game-changer for Florida gardeners. While standard broccoli usually fails in our heat, Piracicaba thrives, making it one of the few ways to get a broccoli-like harvest in Dunnellon during the warmer months. 

• Heat-Tolerant Champion: Unlike traditional broccoli, which "bolts" (flowers) and turns bitter as soon as it gets warm, Piracicaba continues to produce sweet, tender shoots through much higher temperatures.
• Non-Heading Variety: Instead of one giant head, it produces many small, loose clusters (similar to broccolini). The more you harvest the side shoots, the more it produces.
• Incredible Flavor: It has a sweeter, more complex flavor than store-bought broccoli, and the leaves are also edible—tasting like a cross between kale and collards.
• Open-Pollinated Heirloom: It’s an heirloom variety, which fits perfectly with your focus on quality, sustainable plants.

• Harvesting: Harvest the small green heads while the buds are still tight. Be sure to eat the stems and the younger leaves, too!
• Sunlight: Needs full sun, but in the peak of a Florida summer, it appreciates some light afternoon shade to keep the leaves from wilting.
• Pests: Like all brassicas, watch out for cabbage worms. 

 Green Magic is one of the most popular broccoli varieties for Florida because it was bred specifically to handle the "swing" seasons where it might be cool one day and hot the next. 

• Heat Tolerant: While most traditional broccoli will "bolt" (turn to flower) as soon as it hits 80°F, Green Magic has excellent heat tolerance, making it perfect for our Dunnellon spring and fall.
• Beautiful Presentation: It produces smooth, well-domed, blue-green heads that look just like what you’d find at a high-end market.
• Excellent Side-Shoot Production: Once you harvest the main head, the plant continues to produce smaller side shoots, giving you a much longer harvest window.
• Fast Maturing: It’s an early variety, usually ready to harvest in about 60 days from transplanting.

 Belstar is a fantastic "all-season" broccoli that is specifically prized by organic growers and home nurseries for its versatility. It’s one of the best varieties for transitioning between the cool winter and the warm Florida spring. 

• Stress Tolerant: Belstar is famous for its ability to produce high-quality heads even under environmental stress, whether that’s a late frost or a sudden Florida heatwave.
• Compact & Beautiful: It produces very compact, 6–8 inch heads with a striking blue-green color and tiny beads (the little bumps on the broccoli), which gives it a very professional, "market-ready" look.
• Exceptional Side Shoots: One of its best features is its vigorous side-shoot production. After the main head is cut, it will keep producing smaller harvests for weeks, making it a high-value plant for your customers.
• Adaptable Timing: Because it performs well in both spring and fall, it’s a reliable variety to keep in your "grown per season" rotation in Dunnellon.

 Purple Magic is a showstopper for any garden. It is the first truly reliable, all-purple broccoli that maintains its color and thrives in various climates.

• Stunning Color: Unlike some "purple" varieties that are only purple on the tips, Purple Magic is a deep, vibrant purple from the stems all the way to the top of the head.
• Award-Winning Performance: It is an AAS (All-America Selections) winner because it grows reliably, has great flavor, and offers excellent heat tolerance for a broccoli.
• Sweeter Flavor: Many gardeners find it sweeter and more tender than standard green varieties, with a slightly nutty undertone.
• Packed with Nutrition: That deep purple color comes from anthocyanins, the same powerful antioxidants found in blueberries.

 De Cicco is an old-fashioned Italian heirloom that is perfect for a home nursery because it behaves exactly how a home gardener wants broccoli to grow—slowly and steadily over a long period. 

• Extended Harvest: Unlike modern "one and done" hybrids, De Cicco produces a small main head followed by a massive amount of side shoots for weeks. It’s perfect for families who want a little bit of fresh broccoli every few days rather than a mountain of it all at once.
• Early & Reliable: It’s a very early variety (about 48-60 days), which helps you get a harvest in before the true Florida heat kicks in.
• Variable Maturity: Because it is an un-uniform heirloom, your plants will mature at slightly different times. This is a huge benefit for home gardeners who don't want to harvest their entire garden on the same day.
• Edible Everything: The stems are particularly tender and the leaves are high in vitamins, making the whole plant a valuable addition to the kitchen.

 Apollo Broccolini (often called a "baby broccoli" or "sprouting broccoli") is a premium hybrid that is a cross between standard broccoli and Chinese kale. 

• Gourmet Texture: Unlike standard broccoli, Apollo is grown for its long, tender, and succulent stems. You eat the whole thing—stems, leaves, and tiny heads!
• High-Yielding Hybrid: It is a prolific producer of side shoots. Once the small central head is harvested, the plant explodes with those signature long, slender stems.
• Better Heat Tolerance: Because of its Chinese kale parentage, Apollo handles the Florida sun better than most "heading" broccoli varieties.
• Quick to Table: It is relatively fast to mature, usually ready for the first harvest in about 60–70 days.