Is Broccoli in Season in December?

Broccoli is in season in Australia in winter but peak season is usually early spring. Despite being a winter vegetable you can enjoy broccoli year round with the lowest supply usually in autumn.

Availability of Broccoli in Spring

When is Broccoli Season in Australia?

Broccoli is in season year-round in Australia but is most suited to an autumn or winter harvest. The peak supply is usually between June and September.

Broccoli is a winter vegetable, preferring cooler temperatures for optimal development. It is an annual crop and broccoli planting season in most Australian growing regions is during late summer or early autumn. That allows for a typical harvest in winter, around 10 to 12 weeks after planting.

While the conditions in Australia can support year-round growing season there are some challenges to growing broccoli out of season. For example too much variation in sunlight and moisture can lead to poor development of broccoli.

Availability of Broccoli by Month

Broccolini Season

Broccolini is in season from autumn to early spring. It is a hybrid of common European broccoli and Chinese broccoli. While it prefers slightly milder temperatures and is more tolerant of warmer conditions, a trait inherited from Chinese broccoli, it is still a cool weather plant.

Chinese Broccoli Season

Chinese broccoli is in season from autumn to early spring. The plant has longer stalks and dark green leaves compared to the more compact heads of European broccoli. It is a winter vegetable but has better heat tolerance than other broccoli varieties and leafy greens like kale. Unlike other varieties, it is perennial in its natural environment.

Where Does Broccoli Come From in Australia?

Broccoli is originally from Italy and prefers temperate climates. It is most productive in cooler parts of Australia with the biggest harvests in Victoria, and southern parts of Queensland and Western Australia.

Australian broccoli season varies by state. The peak of Victorian broccoli season in August and September, while the peak of Queensland broccoli season is earlier in the year in June. In 2022 Victoria and Queensland contributed 75% of the broccoli season in Australia.