Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America – Endive

Lists 1-27 Combined

Edited by Edward J. Ryder

U.S. Agricultural Research Station
1636 East Alisal Street
Salinas, CA 93905

Bossa – Breeder and vendor: SeedWay. Characteristics: 90 day maturity, head size 12 to 14″, deep green, broad, slightly upright leaves, midrib creamy white.

Coral – Breeder and vendor: Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Characteristics: medium size, upright dense head of wavy, mid green, broad leaves, partially self blanches, creamy yellow to white, well filled heart, slow bolting, replaces Nuvol, 48 day maturity.

Cornet d’Anjou – Breeder and vendor: Cook’s Garden. Characteristics: resembles mouth of a horn, best in fall and spring, blanched by tying to mellow its flavor, 80 day maturity.

Cos Type Batavian – Breeder and vendor: Ferry-Morse Seed Co., Mountain View, Calf. Parentage: selection from Broad Leaf. Characteristics: taller, more erect Broad Leaf. Adaptation: Florida. 1941.

Damsel (SSC 26018) – Breeder and vendor: Shamrock Seed Co. Parentage: open pollinated. Characteristics: Tres Fine Maraichere or Frisee type; common component in baby leaf salads; produces a medium-large, spreading plant with thick, finely serrated leaves; the plant frame is medium green and has a dense, blanched heart; maturity is 60-65 days during summer in coastal regions and 110 days during winter in desert regions. Resistance: none claimed. Similar: Tres Fine Maraichere. Adaptation: U.S. salad production regions. 2003.

Deep Heart Fringed – Breeder and vendor: Ferry-Morse Seed Co., Mountain View, Calf. Parentage: selection from Full Heart Batavian. Characteristics: more vigorous, coarser Green Curled. Adaptation: wide. 1940.

Escarole – Breeder and vendor: Burpee Gardens. Characteristics: broad leaved Batavian, 90 day maturity, large, broad, slightly twisted lettuce-like leaves, round plants up to 16″ across, heart very deep, well blanched, creamy white with buttery texture. 1991.

Fine Curled – Breeder and vendor: Cook’s Garden. Characteristics: known as Frisee, finely cut leaves, blanch by tying heads.

Flash – Breeder: I.N.R.A., Fed. Res. Stn., France. Vendor: Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Characteristics: versatile witloof chicory cultivar, 110 day maturity.

Florida Deep Heart – Breeder and vendor: Twilley Seeds. Characteristics: 90 day maturity, broad leaf southern type produces broad, dark green, coarsely crumpled leaves with white midribs.

Frisan – Breeder and vendor: Stokes. Characteristics: 98 day maturity, heads average 41 cm across, very well filled with well blanched centers, outer leaves are dark green, longer.

Frizz E – Breeder and vendor: W. Atlee Burpee and Co. 1999.

Full Heart Batavian Escarole – Breeder: Royal Sluis. Vendor: Stokes. Characteristics: 85 day maturity, imported strain NR65 from Royal Sluis, upright, broad smooth dark green leaves with less basal rot, nicely bunched creamy yellow blanched centers.

Full Heart N.R. 65 – Vendor: Ferry-Morse Seed Co., Mountain View, Calif. Characteristics: large, spreading plants, outer leaves are procumbent and inner ones short and erect; leaves are rumpled and medium green. Similar: Full Heart. Adaptation: general. Ferry-Morse, 15 Apr. 1963.

Galia – Breeder and vendor: Cook’s Garden. Characteristics: similar to Fine Curled but more petite and finely cut leaves, more trouble free than Fin des Louviers, which it replaces. Similar: Fine Curled.

Geante Maraichere – Breeder and vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: for harvesting in autumn and winter, full hearted and heavy, versatile and presentation offering a very good quality production. 1990.

Green Curled Endive – Breeder and vendor: Burpee Gardens. Characteristics: giant fringed oyster, 90 day maturity, crisp, tender, rich green, finely cut, fringed leaves blanch to creamy white in center, plants 16-18″ across. 1991.

Green Curled Ruffec – Breeder and vendor: Nichols Garden Nursery. Characteristics: finely cut and frilled leaves, flavor slightly bitter, 90 day maturity. 1994.

Grosse Bouclee – Breeder and vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: large sized, early cultivar, very tight heart, curled leaves, long and blanched. Resistance: bolting.

Grossee Bouchlee – Breeder and vendor: Willhite. Characteristics: 50 day maturity, very tight heart, smooth leaves are long and well blanched, tender, crunchy leaves, easy to grow.

Ione – Breeder and vendor: Enza Zaden. 1999.

Lorca – Breeder and vendor: SeedWay. Characteristics: 70 day maturity, head size 14″, leaf deep green, curled, toothed, midrib color light green, large, dense heads, refined look, uniform Salad King type, slow bolt. Resistance: tolerance tipburn. Similar: Salad King.

Markant – Breeder and vendor: Enza Zaden. 1999.

Midori – Breeder and vendor: Enza Zaden. 1999.

Moss Curled – Breeder and vendor: Bountiful Gardens. Characteristics: feathery dark green curled leaves, heavy growth, grows fast in cold weather, blanch by tying outer leaves together to exclude the daylight. Resistance: heat.

Neos – Breeder and vendor: SeedWay. Characteristics: 90 day maturity, head size 12-14″, leaves light green, pale green finely cut midrib color, finely curled, heavy heads with well blanched centers.

President – Breeder and vendor: Seeds Blum. Characteristics: hardiest in fall.

Rhodos – Breeder and vendor: Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Characteristics: French Tres Fine Maraichere type, smooth, deeply cut, toothed gray green leaves, mass of tender, white blanched leaves at heart, harvest early before showing tipburn or bottom rot.

Salad King – Breeder and vendor: Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Characteristics: vigorous, healthy, curly, deep green, toothed, curled leaves, very heavy and large, slow bolting, 52 day maturity. Resistance: tolerance to tipburn and frost. Similar: Wallonne.

Salad King – Breeder and vendor: Waldo Rohnert Co., Gilroy, Calif. Parentage: Rufec. Characteristics: nonbolting habit in warm weather, large frame. Similar: Rufec. Adaptation: western U.S. 1957.

Salad King Improved – Breeder and vendor: Harris Moran. Similar: Salad King.

Sinco Escarole – Breeder and vendor: Shepard’s Garden. Characteristics: big head, large outer leaves folded around a closely brunched crunchy heart, leaves are extra crispy and succulent.

Sugarloaf – Breeder and vendor: Cook’s Garden. Characteristics: known in France as Pain de Sucre, relatively large, cos-like green head, high yielding, best as a fall crops, 80 day maturity.

Tasos – Breeder and vendor: SeedWay. Characteristics: 90 day maturity, head size 12-14″, dark green, finely cut leaves, midrib is pale green, very finely curled. Resistance: tolerance to cold.

Tosca – Breeder and vendor: Stokes Growers Guide. Characteristics: 85 day maturity, very large, early type with very fine “shoe string” leaves, narrower than other types, medium green leaves, white blanched hearts.

Traviata – Breeder and vendor: Vilmorin. Similar: Grosse Pommant Seule. 1990.

Tres Fine – Breeder and vendor: Shepard’s Garden. Characteristics: extra finely cut, lacy leaves, delicate crispy ribs and cream colored hearts, slow bolting, easy to grow.

Tres Fine Maraichere race Galia – Breeder and vendor: Vilmorin. 1993.

Tres Fine Marie (HMX 8524) – Breeder: Clause. Vendor: Harris Moran Seed Co. Parentage: open pollinated. Adaptation: all endive production areas. 1998.

Valdena (XPH 474) – Breeder and vendor: Asgrow Seed Co. Characteristics: open pollinated, erect growth habit, large frame, smooth butt, early. Resistance: none. Similar: Full Heart. PVP. 1980.

Wallonne – Breeder and vendor: Seeds Blum. Characteristics: excellent fall and winter type.

Wallonne race Lorca – Breeder and vendor: Vilmorin. Characteristics: adapted for cropping in autumn, petioles are curled right to the base of intermediate size, very full dense centers, good yield of blanched leaf. Similar: Minerva. 1990.