CHILL BEAUTY-Ornamental Cabbage/Kale

 

As soon as there is a chill in the air, you can add seasonal color in your garden. Yes, there are the ubiquitous mums and frost tolerant pansies but Ornamental cabbage and kale add a burst of bright, almost neon, color and texture to autumn gardens.  These plants add a burst of bright color to autumn gardens. Use them in the flowerbeds, pots, or containers. Their intense beauty overcomes gloomy skies and faded leaves. 

 Ornamental cabbage and kale (also known as “flowering” cabbage and kale) are in the same species (Brassica oleracea) as edible cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. While they are esculent they tend to have a bitter flavor and are usually used as garnishes. 

They are prized primarily as colorful additions to home gardens grown for their large rosettes of white, pink, purple or red leaves. Technically, ornamental cabbage and kale are all kales (kales produce leaves in a tight rosettes; cabbages produce heads).  But in the horticultural trade, ornamental kale is the term used for types with deeply-cut, curly, frilly or ruffled leaves.  Ornamental cabbage is the term used for types with broad, flat leaves that are edged in a contrasting color.  Ornamental cabbage and kale grow approximately one foot wide and 15 inches tall.  There are many cultivars that are commercially available.

Use in your landscape
(Photo courtesy of University of Missouri)

Use these in your flowerbeds or as edging along a walkway or path. They are best displayed where they can be seen from above to appreciate their form and texture. They do well in in planters, window boxes, or other containers with good potting soil and drainage holes.

Wait until temperatures start cooling down, then plant ornamental cabbage and kale in a sunny location in a moderately moist, rich soil.  Bury stems so that the lowest leaves of the plants are flush with the soil surface.  After planting, keep the plants well watered, moist but not soggy.  Until cool weather arrives, plants won’t have much color.   

CKagan, Master Gardener

Reference: University of Wisconsin-Madison

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/ornamental-cabbage-and-kale/

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