Brussels sprouts grow on tall, thick stems above ground in cool, temperate climates, most famously in and around Belgium and other parts of northern Europe, but now also in many cooler regions worldwide. The “little cabbages” you eat are actually buds that form all along the stalk, not roots or underground bulbs.

How the plant grows

Brussels sprouts are a type of leafy brassica, related to cabbage and kale, and they form a central stalk that can reach about 60–100 cm tall with rows of sprouts along it. Each sprout is a compact bud that develops in the leaf axils, starting near the bottom of the stem and maturing upward over time.

Field and farm locations

Commercially, much of the U.S. crop is grown in California’s coastal areas, with smaller but notable production in cooler regions like Washington’s Skagit Valley and parts of New York, where mild summers suit them well. Globally, they are widely grown across northern Europe, including the UK and the Low Countries, which provide the cool, moist conditions they prefer.

Climate and conditions

Brussels sprouts are cool‑weather plants that grow best where summers are mild and autumns are long and cool, often described as “fog belt” or maritime climates. They typically thrive in well‑drained, fertile soil in full sun, with gardeners often enriching beds with compost or manure before planting.

Garden growing zones

In home gardens they can be grown across a wide range of USDA zones, roughly from zone 3 up through 10, as long as they are scheduled so that most growth and sprout formation happens in cooler weather. Gardeners commonly start seeds in spring and aim for a fall or early winter harvest, or plant in late summer for a cool‑season crop in warmer zones.

Where the sprouts sit on the plant

The sprouts grow all along the upright stem, not at the base of the plant or underground, and are picked either individually or by cutting the whole stalk. Lower sprouts usually mature first, so harvesting often begins near the bottom and moves upward over several weeks.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.