Both ornamental cabbage and kale grow the best when daytime temperatures are between 40-80º Fahrenheit (4-26º Celsius), but they can survive temperatures down to almost 5º Fahrenheit (-15º Celcius). Ornamental Cabbage VS Ornamental Kale Watson, Benjamin (1996). Taylor's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-395-70818-7. kale frost. In the fall, chrysanthemums and pansies are the predominant plants offered for seasonal color. But another group of cold-tolerant plants without flowers can help brighten the fall garden when almost everything else is looking tired and ready for winter. Ornamental cabbage and kale are the same species as edible cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower ( Brassica oleracea) but have much fancier and more colorful foliage than their cousins from the vegetable garden. While these plants are sometimes offered as “flowering” cabbage and kale, they are grown for their large rosettes of colorful leaves, not the flowers. These plants are very showy and come in a variety of colors, ranging from white to pinks, purples or reds. Even though they are technically all kales (kale does not produce a head; instead, it produces leaves in a tight rosette), by convention those types with deeply-cut, curly, frilly or ruffled leaves are called ornamental kale, while the ones with broad, flat leaves often edged in a contrasting color are called ornamental cabbage. The plants grow about a foot wide and 15” tall.

The most cold-tolerant of all cultivars, the Russian or “Flat Leaf” kale category is most commonly grown as a fall crop or an overwintering green. The leaves are flatter and more open like collard greens, but with frilly serrated edges and a tender texture.

Planting and Growing Brassica oleracea

A traditional Portuguese soup, caldo verde, combines pureed potatoes, very finely sliced kale, olive oil and salt. [30] Additional ingredients can include broth and sliced, cooked spicy sausage. One of those cold-weather-loving plants is ornamental kale. While it is in the same family as edible kale, it is actually grown only for its appearance instead of its consumption. Eating ornamental kale will likely leave you with a nasty bitter taste in your mouth.

While some cultivars are bred specifically to handle certain conditions like extreme cold or bolt resistance in the heat, many varieties are simply bred to be more fun and tasty to eat. There is truly something for every gardener!

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Titchmarsh, Alan (3 May 2015). "Land army: Alan Titchmarsh on how gardening became essential for survival during wartime". The Express . Retrieved 5 August 2017. They both range in size from 6 inches all the way up to 35 inches. Ornamental cabbage and kale feature multiple layers of a variety of green foliage with centers of purple, white, red, green, and/or pink. Chinese kale is a vegetable crop that originated from China. It is also known as Chinese broccoli, Kailan, or Gai-lan. Similar to traditional sprouting broccoli, this oriental vegetable has tender edible stems, leaves, buds and flowers. It is a fast-growing crop that is a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C.

The ‘Color Up’ series has cabbage types with upright, columnar growth habits and green leaves with colored centers in white, blush pink or fuchsia. Two vibrant stars of the fall garden are flowering kale and cabbage, also known as ornamental cabbage and kale. Although you can eat them, they are primarily grown for their attractive leaves. Anthocyanins are pigments with strong antioxidant properties that are also present in blueberries and purple carrots. Kale is usually an biennial plant grown from seed with a wide range of germination temperatures. [10] It is hardy and thrives in wintertime, [10] and can survive in temperatures as low as −15°C (5°F). [11] Kale can become sweeter after a heavy frost. [12] Cultivars [ edit ]

Kale originates from Northern Middle English cale (compare Scots kail and German Kohl) for various cabbages. The ultimate origin is Latin caulis 'cabbage'. [3] [4] History [ edit ] Children collecting leaves of red Russian kale (Brassica napus L. subsp. napus var. pabularia (DC.) Alef.) in a family vegetable garden