Brussels sprout is a member of the Gemmifera group of cabbages, grown for its edible buds. The leaf vegetables are 1.5–4.0 cm in diameter and look like miniature cabbages.
Brussels sprouts can be grown in just about any home vegetable garden if you have patience. Brussels Sprouts plants require a very long growing season. However they actually taste better when they are hit with a slight frost, so although they are a late harvest, they are a relatively long one. Because of their fondness for cool weather, Brussels Sprouts are a fall crop in warmer climates. As with broccoli, growing Brussels sprouts in warm weather and long days will cause the “sprouts” to open and be unsuitable for eating. Named after the city of Brussels, Brussels sprouts were first made popular in Belgium, where they’ve been grown since about 1200. The sprouts are buds that grow in the axils of each leaf. They look like tiny cabbages and are actually considered a type of wild cabbage. The plant itself looks like a small palm tree and the sprouts grow along the trunk-like stem. The green variety is the most commonly grown, but there are red Brussels sprouts too.
