Botanical Name: Brassica rapa

Purple Top White Globe is the classic heirloom turnip that has been a favorite of home gardeners, market growers, and family farms for generations. Recognized by its attractive creamy-white roots crowned with rich purple shoulders, this dependable variety produces smooth, globe-shaped roots with crisp white flesh and a mild, pleasantly sweet flavor. Its combination of fast growth, dependable yields, and excellent eating quality has made it one of the most widely grown turnips in North America.

The roots develop quickly and are best harvested when they reach 3 to 5 inches in diameter for maximum tenderness. Purple Top White Globe is equally delicious boiled, mashed, roasted, steamed, glazed, or added to soups and hearty stews. As autumn temperatures cool, the roots become even sweeter, making this variety especially popular for fall gardens. Its firm texture and excellent storage qualities also make it an outstanding choice for winter root cellars and long-term refrigeration.

In addition to producing beautiful roots, Purple Top White Globe also yields an abundant crop of nutritious greens. Young leaves are tender enough for fresh salads, while mature greens are excellent cooked in the traditional Southern style with smoked meats or simply sautéed with garlic and butter. Rich in vitamins A, C, and K along with calcium, potassium, and fiber, both the roots and greens provide exceptional nutritional value from a single planting.

This cool-season vegetable performs best in fertile, loose, well-drained soil with consistent moisture. It grows rapidly during the cooler temperatures of spring and fall and is remarkably easy to grow, making it an excellent choice for both beginning and experienced gardeners. Its quick maturity also allows for succession plantings, providing a continuous harvest throughout the growing season. Light frosts improve both flavor and sweetness, making Purple Top White Globe one of the finest vegetables for autumn harvesting.

Specifications

• Botanical Name: Brassica rapa
• Plant Type: Cool-season root vegetable
• Root Shape: Smooth, globe-shaped
• Root Color: White with bright purple shoulders
• Flesh Color: Crisp white
• Root Size: 3–5 inches in diameter
• Days to Harvest: Approximately 50–60 days
• Plant Height: 12–18 inches
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Requirements: Fertile, loose, well-drained soil
• Planting Seasons: Early spring and late summer for fall harvest
• Uses: Fresh eating, roasting, boiling, soups, stews, greens, and storage

Disease Resistance

Purple Top White Globe performs reliably under a wide range of growing conditions and exhibits good field tolerance when properly cultivated. Healthy plants benefit from crop rotation, well-drained soil, and good air circulation to minimize common brassica diseases such as clubroot, black rot, downy mildew, and alternaria leaf spot.

Seedman Notes

Few turnips have stood the test of time as successfully as Purple Top White Globe. Its dependable harvests, attractive appearance, excellent flavor, and productive greens have made it the standard by which many other turnip varieties are judged. Whether grown for fresh summer meals, traditional Southern cooking, or fall and winter storage, this heirloom continues to be one of the finest all-purpose turnips available. Harvest roots while young for the most tender texture, or allow cool autumn weather to naturally enhance their sweetness before enjoying this garden classic.