Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla Bright Lights Swiss Chard is a prestigious, All-America Selections Winner valued for its spectacular, multi-colored stems and mild, delicious flavor. Growing to about 12 to 20 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 24 inches, this variety is perfect for vegetable gardens, ornamental borders, and container plantings where both culinary utility and visual impact are desired. Unlike standard white chard, Bright Lights produces a dazzling array of stem colors—including gold, pink, orange, purple, red, and white—that brighten up the garden from early spring through late fall while providing a continuous harvest of nutritious greens.
Culinary and Practical Uses
The tender young leaves are excellent for fresh salads, adding a pop of color and a mild, spinach-like flavor without the bitterness often associated with older chard.
The thick, crunchy stalks can be chopped and sautéed like celery or asparagus, while the large leaves are perfect for steaming, braising, or stuffing.
A nutritional powerhouse rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as magnesium and potassium, making it a staple for healthy, vibrant meals.
Characteristics
Foliage: Large, savoyed (crinkled) dark green to bronze leaves with contrasting bright veins; the stems come in a vivid mix of yellow, gold, orange, pink, violet, red, and white.
Growth Habit: Upright, vase-shaped rosette that grows vigorously; widely considered the standard for rainbow chard due to its uniform growth and intense coloration.
Flowers: As a biennial, it typically does not flower in the first year; if overwintered, it produces tall spikes of insignificant greenish flowers in the second spring, which attract pollinators but signal the end of leaf quality.
Seeds: Harvested from dried flower stalks in the second year; the corky seed clusters often contain multiple seeds, requiring thinning after germination.
Growing Requirements
Sun: Thrives in full sun to partial shade; tolerates shade better than most leafy greens, though colors are most vivid with at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight.
Soil: Adapts to most soil types but prefers fertile, well-draining, loamy soil rich in organic matter with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
Water: Requires consistent, moderate watering; maintaining even soil moisture is crucial to prevent the stalks from becoming tough or stringy.
Spacing: Plant seeds or transplants 6 to 12 inches apart to allow for full leaf development and airflow; closer spacing yields smaller, baby-leaf plants.
Maintenance: Harvest outer leaves continuously using the "cut-and-come-again" method to encourage new growth from the center; mulch to keep roots cool and suppress weeds.
Shipping Info Bright Lights Swiss Chard seeds ship as fresh, high-quality, viable seeds that are carefully packaged for stability and protection from damage during transit. Prompt shipping supports reliable germination and seasonally appropriate planting.
Growing Zones
3a
-
10b
Your Growing Zone:
Find My Zone
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Low Temperature
15°F
High Temperature
85°F
Fragrant
No
Polinator Required
No
Polinator Friendly
Yes
Flower Color
Bronze
Gold
Green
Orange
Pink
Red
Violet
White
Yellow
I am so very impressed with this company! I had bought one of the mini banana trees first, which started dying right after I got it. After contacting the company, they agreed to give me a credit, with which I bought these two honeysuckle plants. Please excuse the weeds & bad fencing. Hopefully these little plants will grow up & cover the fence. I will be working on weeding and continuing to build a flower bed at the base of the fence. Thank you Blossomdale! I look forward to buying more plants in the future.
Store owner replied:
Thank you so much for your kind words and continued support, Victoria! We're glad we could help you find a solution and that you're happy with your honeysuckle plants. We hope they grow beautifully and eventually cover your fence. We look forward to helping you grow your garden! 😊
Plant looks healthy and is putting out new growth plus aerial roots as well. I’m excited to get it climbing and really growing!
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your feedback, Sara! We're happy to hear your Pothos is healthy and already producing new growth and aerial roots. We hope you enjoy watching it climb and thrive! 😊
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your review, Linda! We hope you enjoy watching your Alocasia Stingray grow and flourish. We appreciate your support! 😊
Plant was well packaged. PLant was lush, green, and watered before shipping ready to hang. Love it 💚💚💚
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your wonderful review, Fleurette! We're delighted your fern arrived lush, green, and ready to hang. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy your new plant! :)
My banana plant arrived perfectly protected and ready to plant. Thank you Blossomdale for taking great care of my baby banana plant!!
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your kind words, Suzanne! We're so glad your banana plant arrived safely and was well-protected. We appreciate your trust in Blossomdale! 😊
The fig trees arrived today in small pots very well packed. I removed them and watered them. I will let them "rest" for 4 to 5 days before I repot them and prepare them for winter, inside. Very pleased with these trees. After getting other sellers rotten packing jobs this was a real treat. I may buy more in the spring of 2027.
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your kind review, Donald! We're delighted your fig trees arrived well-packed and in good condition. We appreciate your support and hope they thrive through the winter! :)
Packed so well! I was surprised how many flowers my orange ones had! Will definitely buy from them again! My original ordered flowers were out of stock and I received an email about replacements. I love them!
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your wonderful review, Diana! We're glad you loved the flowers and appreciated the communication about your replacement options. We look forward to serving you again! :)
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your kind review, Rosetta! We're delighted to hear your plant arrived healthy and beautiful. We appreciate your support! :)
Healthy and beautiful! A little smaller than I expected.
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your feedback, Rosetta! We're glad to hear your plant arrived healthy and beautiful. We appreciate your feedback about the size and hope your plant grows and flourishes! 😊
I was very impressed with how well my 18 little lantanas were packed. All looked healthy and I planted them yesterday. It was a little difficult unpacking them but that’s the price I paid for having you pack them so well. I was a little worried when I saw UPS coming to the door with the box slung over the driver’s shoulder despite the fact that the box was marked with an ⬆️ and it said live plants. But all is well. Now if I can just keep them alive.
Store owner replied:
Thank you for your review, Beth! We're glad your plant arrived quickly and is doing much better. We appreciate you choosing Blossomdale! 😊
Lovely little guy-- impossible to find coral honeysuckle at my local nursery for whatever reason. I really appreciate that the Blossomdale staff kept it and nurtured it a little longer so it would be more robust for the trip. Can't wait to put it in the ground and watch it thrive :-) Will order from them again.
It was my very first plant I order online so I wasn’t sure what to expect but when it got here and in one piece and as long as it is I was shocked but very HAPPY.
It's doing really well. I will be transferring it to a bigger pot probably by the weekend. I wish I had a little more instructions on how to care for this variety, and what to do in the fall.
Package came delivered just like it said it would I pulled it out it looked good. I put it in some water for about a half hour and put it in my 30 gallon tub and I got three things to go with it.
Very healthy cutting. Followed the instructions and let it get acclimated to its new surroundings for a couple of weeks before repotting. Would not hesitate to purchase from this business again 😃
Plants arrived in great condition. This plant has only been in the ground about 10 days and is growing a lot. The plant cage is 12” tall so it’s doing well. I put guards around my new plants for a little while because I have bunnies who love tender young leaves.
I got 2 mystery plants (one indoor and one outdoor). The indoor was a pilea and the outdoor plant was a white blackberry. White blackberry was dramatic, but it’s making a comeback and the pilea is doing great!
Bring life to your garden with the plants everyone’s raving about! These bestsellers are customer favorites for their beauty, resilience, and ability to thrive in a variety of spaces.
You’ve found Blossomdale, a bright little village where plant people gather to exhale. Swap stories of first sprouts & surprise blooms, gush over new leaves & meet folks who love the smell of fresh potting mix as much as you do.
From all of us at Blossomdale - welcome in, settle down, and let’s enjoy the growing together.
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Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla Bright Lights Swiss Chard is a prestigious, All-America Selections Winner valued for its spectacular, multi-colored stems and mild, delicious flavor. Growing to about 12 to 20 inches tall with a spread of 18 to 24 inches, this variety is perfect for vegetable gardens, ornamental borders, and container plantings where both culinary utility and visual impact are desired. Unlike standard white chard, Bright Lights produces a dazzling array of stem colors—including gold, pink, orange, purple, red, and white—that brighten up the garden from early spring through late fall while providing a continuous harvest of nutritious greens.
Culinary and Practical Uses
The tender young leaves are excellent for fresh salads, adding a pop of color and a mild, spinach-like flavor without the bitterness often associated with older chard.
The thick, crunchy stalks can be chopped and sautéed like celery or asparagus, while the large leaves are perfect for steaming, braising, or stuffing.
A nutritional powerhouse rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as magnesium and potassium, making it a staple for healthy, vibrant meals.
Characteristics
Foliage: Large, savoyed (crinkled) dark green to bronze leaves with contrasting bright veins; the stems come in a vivid mix of yellow, gold, orange, pink, violet, red, and white.
Growth Habit: Upright, vase-shaped rosette that grows vigorously; widely considered the standard for rainbow chard due to its uniform growth and intense coloration.
Flowers: As a biennial, it typically does not flower in the first year; if overwintered, it produces tall spikes of insignificant greenish flowers in the second spring, which attract pollinators but signal the end of leaf quality.
Seeds: Harvested from dried flower stalks in the second year; the corky seed clusters often contain multiple seeds, requiring thinning after germination.
Growing Requirements
Sun: Thrives in full sun to partial shade; tolerates shade better than most leafy greens, though colors are most vivid with at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight.
Soil: Adapts to most soil types but prefers fertile, well-draining, loamy soil rich in organic matter with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0.
Water: Requires consistent, moderate watering; maintaining even soil moisture is crucial to prevent the stalks from becoming tough or stringy.
Spacing: Plant seeds or transplants 6 to 12 inches apart to allow for full leaf development and airflow; closer spacing yields smaller, baby-leaf plants.
Maintenance: Harvest outer leaves continuously using the "cut-and-come-again" method to encourage new growth from the center; mulch to keep roots cool and suppress weeds.
Shipping Info Bright Lights Swiss Chard seeds ship as fresh, high-quality, viable seeds that are carefully packaged for stability and protection from damage during transit. Prompt shipping supports reliable germination and seasonally appropriate planting.