'Della' Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor Origin: Virginia Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~50 Germination tested 09/2025: 98% Life cycle: Annual 'Della' is a mid-season sweet sorghum variety with good disease resistance. Developed by Bob Harrison of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, it was released in December 1991. 'Della' matures about one week earlier than 'Dale' and about 6 days later than 'Sugar Drip'. Della is a backcross of 'Dale' — one of the modern sorghum-syrup-makers gold-standard varieties for excellent syrup quality — to an earlier maturing line. It is resistant to anthracnose and maize dwarf mosaic and is moderately susceptible to bacterial stripe. 'Della' is more prone to lodging (dipping over) compared to 'Dale' and is more variable in plant height. It is similar to 'Dale' in syrup quality. The biggest advantage of 'Della' is that it matures one week earlier than 'Dale' and thus would let you start cooking a little earlier in the fall. This crop of 'Della' is the fir