Rutabagas are a cool season root vegetable which can also be used as a fall cover crop. The large root is purple and white and the leaves are usually bluish-green. It can be boiled, baked, roasted, or mashed, as well as eaten raw in salads.
Latin Name
Brassica napus
Family
Brassicaceae
Type of Plant
Annuals
Vegetables
Seasons
Fall
Winter
Specifications
Max Height: 2'
Max Spread: 1'
Uses
Sunlight Exposure
Full Sun
Colors
Native Range
Russia
History
George Washington wrote in March of 1788, "I causd to be sown a bed of Reynold's Turnip rooted Cabbages for the purpose of raising plants to put in my Corn Rows." The phrase "Turnip rooted Cabbages" was commonly used to refer to rutabagas.
Other Details
Grown by Washington
Planted at Mount Vernon
Hardiness Zones
Average annual extreme minimum temperature 1976-2005
Bartlett Tree Expert Company has been working with Mount Vernon Estate since 2011 providing expert arboricultural care and GPS mapping for the estate’s historic trees, as well as support from their research facility. Mount Vernon is proud to partner with Bartlett Tree Experts and appreciates their sponsorship of George Washington’s Mount Vernon Plant Finder App.
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