ORGANIC GROW
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CULTIVAR DESCRIPTION DAYS TO HARVEST,^
FLESH AND FLAVOUR‘Black Beauty’
Heirloom from about 1940, dark-green
elongated fruit. Bush.Early 50–60; mild, creamy-white flesh. Great
roasted or baked.‘Cocozelle’ Italian heirloom from 1920s. Long slender
dark-green fruit with lighter stripes. Bush.
55–65; firm, nutty, full-flavoured flesh.‘Costata Romanesco’Italian heirloom. Grey-green with pale
flecks and distinct pale ridges. Long,
slender fruit. Sprawling plant.55–70; nutty, delicious, solid flesh. Large male
flowers good for eating, or pick fruit at 10–15cm
with flower attached and fry whole.‘Cowlards Green’Australian heirloom. Oval shape with
slight ridges, speckled with pale green.
Bush.Very early 40–45; creamy flesh.
Harvest very small at 10cm.‘Golden’
Heirloom from 1970s. Cylindrical bright
golden fruit. Bush.
Early 50–55; smooth flesh, sweet flavour.‘Lebanese’ (Grey)
Lebanese heirloom. Light-green, sweet,
shorter, fatter fruit. Bush.
50–60; pale sweet-flavoured flesh.‘Long Florence’Italian heirloom. Strongly ribbed, olive-
green, long, slender fruit. Ornamental
leaves. Bush.55–65; long harvest. Excellent for stuffed female
flowers with small fruit attached.‘Melbourne Cream’
Australian heirloom. Stumpy, cylindrical
shape. Pale-green skin. Trailing vine. 55–65; creamy, nutty-flavoured flesh.‘Rondo de Nice’
French heirloom. Round, pale-green,
flecked fruit. Very tender skin. Bush.
Very early 45; fine flavour. Prolific.ONLY THE BEST
Above from left: ‘Black Beauty’; ‘Rondo de Nice’; and ‘Golden’.PHOTOS: FROM LEFT: PENNY WOODWARD/ALAMY/ISTOCK.