Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum) — Plotwright

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Celeriac

Habit (mature) · Rasbak / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Celeriac

Apium graveolens var. rapaceum

A cool-season root vegetable in the carrot family (Apiaceae) grown for its swollen, edible, brown, turnip-like root, which tastes like celery with an additional turnip-like flavoring. Biennial by nature, it is grown as an annual: in its first season it forms a basal rosette of aromatic, pinnately divided leaves above the enlarging root, and only in a second year would it send up a summer bloom of off-white flowers in umbels. Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder describes a plant 2-3 feet tall and 1-1.5 feet wide that wants full sun, rich moist well-drained soil, and consistent water. It dislikes summer heat and humidity, growing best between 60-75 degrees F, and the root is ready to harvest after 3-4 months.

Review: Source-backed

Edible

Light

Full sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Mature size

24-36" tall · 9" apart

Hardy in zones

Annual; Missouri Botanical Garden lists USDA 3-6 context

Summer heat range

Cool-Mild

cool to mild summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

No

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It is a cool-weather crop that dislikes the heat and humidity of a typical summer, growing best between 60-75 degrees F, yet it also bolts if held at or below 55 degrees F for 1-2 weeks, so it wants a steady, mild season rather than extremes at either end.

Climate notes

Cold hardiness

This plant is grown as an annual; hardiness zones don't apply.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

What it needs

Conditions

Light

Full sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Spacing

9"

Habit

Cool-season biennial root vegetable grown as an annual, forming a first-year rosette over a swollen root

Care tips

•

Start seed indoors about 10 weeks before the last frost and transplant out 8-10 inches apart after frost.

•

Keep the rich soil consistently moist and well fed; celeriac wants steady water and 60-75 degrees F, not heat or drought.

•

Avoid prolonged cold below 55 degrees F early on, which makes plants bolt; harvest roots after 3-4 months.

Lifecycle

Planting

A cool-weather vegetable that dislikes the heat and humidity of a typical summer, with best growing-season temperatures of 60-75 degrees F. Start seed indoors about 10 weeks prior to the last spring frost date. It requires a moist, rich, well-drained soil in full sun with regular fertilization and consistent watering (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Transplanting

Set starter plants out in the garden about 8-10 inches apart after the last spring frost date. Avoid prolonged early-season cold: celeriac tends to bolt if exposed to temperatures of 55 degrees F or less for continuous periods of 1-2 weeks (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Early growth

Keep the rich soil consistently moist and fertilize regularly while the rosette establishes and the root begins to swell. Hold temperatures in the 60-75 degrees F comfort range; sustained spells at or below 55 degrees F can trigger premature bolting. Watch for aphids, earwigs, nematodes, celery worms, and slugs, and avoid overly wet soil that invites root rot (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Maturity

The plant reaches about 2-3 feet tall and 1-1.5 feet wide as a basal rosette of aromatic, pinnately divided leaves over a swollen, brown, turnip-like root. Roots are ready to harvest after 3-4 months and may be stored 6-8 months in a root cellar. Only an overwintered second-year plant blooms, sending up a summer head of off-white flowers in umbels (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Propagation

Grown from seed sown indoors about 10 weeks before the last spring frost and transplanted out after frost. It is a biennial-to-perennial herb grown as an annual for the first-year root, so gardeners re-sow each spring rather than carry plants over (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Celeriac (Apium graveolens var. rapaceum). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/celeriac

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

Botanical research database

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

Image

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