Sugar beet

Sugar beet
Sugar beet, illustration of root, leaf, and flowering patterns
SpeciesBeta vulgaris
SubspeciesBeta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (var. saccharifera)
Cultivar groupAltissima Group
OriginSilesia, mid-18th century

A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (Beta vulgaris). Together with other beet cultivars, such as beetroot and chard, it belongs to the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris but is classified as var. saccharifera. Its closest wild relative is the sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima).

Sugar beets are grown in climates that are too cold for sugarcane. In 2024, Russia and Germany were the two largest sugar beet producers contributing to a world total of 294 million tonnes. Sugarcane accounts for most of the rest of sugar produced globally.

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