Pink Celery

Family: Apiaceae Vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Pink Celery to a garden.

Sweetly fragrant and richly aromatic, Pink Celery brings a rare blush to the garden—tender stalks with a delicate, clean snap and a gentle, celery-bright flavor.

At maturity (about 80 days), the upright plants form crisp, well-filled hearts that stay pleasantly crisp for fresh use and lend themselves beautifully to simmered preparations and pickling-style preserves.

Light: Part SunMaturity: 80 DaysHabit: Upright

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Pink Celery Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Mar 30th	Jul 6th	Sep 24th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 20th	Jun 26th	Sep 14th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 20th	Jun 26th	Sep 14th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 24th	Jun 30th	Sep 18th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 20th	Jun 26th	Sep 14th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 18th	Jun 24th	Sep 12th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 13th	Jun 19th	Sep 7th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 9th	Jun 15th	Sep 3rd – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 6th	Jun 12th	Aug 31st – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Feb 28th	Jun 6th	Aug 25th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Feb 23rd	Jun 1st	Aug 20th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 13th	May 22nd	Aug 10th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 4th	May 13th	Aug 1st – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Jan 26th	May 4th	Jul 23rd – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 9th	Apr 17th	Jul 6th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 15th	Mar 23rd	Jun 11th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	80
Sun Requirements	Part Sun
Growth Habit	Upright
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	35
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

This Pink Celery is built for the cold bite—its fiber stays tame and the stalk retains a snappy, watery crunch even when dressed hard. Cook it and it doesn’t go flat: that sweet green perfume stays present, making it a cleaner choice than bitter celery for soups, quick glazes, and brines.

Best Uses

ice-cold batons for dressing that clings without weeping
quick-pickled “refrigerator” celery for tacos, sandwiches, and mezze
aromatic base for stock and broths where you want fresh, not funky
simmered and glazed hearts for a gentler, sweeter celery presence

Flavor Profile

sweetly aromatic celery-bright flavor clean snap with tender, fiber-light stalks subtle floral/green perfume that holds through heat snappy crunch that stays crisp in brine and quick-cook simmer

Kitchen Pairings

lemon olive oil butter mustard parmesan chicken broth

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease most commonly affects Apium graveolens var. dulce (pink celery), and what should I do?

Celery commonly suffers from early blight and especially leaf spot, which show up as dark spots on leaves that spread in cool, wet weather. Remove affected leaves immediately, water at the soil line (not the foliage), and improve airflow by thinning plants so leaves don’t stay wet. If spots keep expanding, use a labeled fungicide suitable for edible Apiaceae and follow the label reapplication interval.

How often should I water pink celery during the main growing phase (about weeks after transplanting)?

Keep the root zone consistently moist—aim for evenly damp soil rather than letting it dry out between waterings, which can cause bitter stems and poor texture. In typical home gardens this often means watering 2–3 times per week, adjusting to heat and soil type, and using mulch to slow moisture swings. Check by touch 2–3 inches down; water when it starts to feel only slightly dry, not bone-dry.

How can I tell when pink celery is ready to harvest at about 80 days?

Harvest when stalks are thick and reach a good, firm size for your variety and the plant forms a dense bunch rather than thin, loose stems. You’ll notice the inner stalks feel crisp and the leaves are full-sized and sturdy; avoid harvesting too early if stems are still slender. For best quality, harvest before prolonged hot weather and cut individual stalks at the base or pull the whole plant when most stalks look mature.