Ornamental cabbage and kale are becoming increasingly popular with gardeners looking for a cool-season ornamental to compliment pansy plantings.

They are at their best in late Fall, and depending on the weather, may look good into the following spring. Round-leaved types are called ornamental cabbage, while lacy-leafed types are called ornamental kale, but in the garden center biz we use the generic term  “ornamental cabbageandkale,” as the culture and uses are the same.

According to Gerald Klingaman of the University of Arkansas, “kale” is the Scot’s version of “cole”, the Roman term for the vegetable, which originated in the Mediterranean area. (Giving us the term “cole crop” for the kale/cabbage/broccoli vegetable group, “cole slaw” and so on).  Kale eventually made its way to Japan, where people selected colorfully-leaved plants for ornamental purposes. Ornamental kales were brought to the United States in 1929 as a result of a USDA-sponsored collecting trip to Japan, and they first appeared in US seed catalogues in 1936. Most selections sold today were bred in Japan, and the Japanese call them “leaf peonies.”

Cool weather is required for good leaf coloration. According to the University of Massachusetts, when night temperatures are below 50 degrees for several nights, the green chlorophyll in the leaves degrades.  This allows the underlying purple, pink and white coloration of the leaves to become more prominent. Two to four weeks of cool weather intensify the colors. Very cold temperatures in winter or heavy snows will tend to shorten their ornamental life. Some years, they look good into April, while other years they are pretty ratty by Christmas.

They are biennials, which means that they have leaves the first season, then form a flower spike in the spring. The yellow-flowered spike is generally considered to be of minor ornamental value, although I have seen some interesting mixed plantings where the flower was striking. Ornamental kale and cabbage are quite attractive when planted in containers in autumn, with pansies and ornamental grasses, or when used en masse in the ground with pansies. Like bulbs, they are less attractive when planted in rows like frilly little soldiers. Or, leave them in the pots for awhile and use them in a “harvest” grouping by the front door, with pumpkins, mums and cornstalks.

Plant them in a sunny spot, in a container or in the ground. When in the ground, they will do best in good soil that drains well (no standing water).  Watch for caterpillars of the white cabbage butterfly. Called loopers, these can be hand-picked or treated with an organic insecticide containing Bacillus thuringiensis, (Bt), a bacterial product.

Edible: it is said that they (“they” in this context being ornamental cabbageandkale, not the loopers) are edible but not tasty. My own rule of thumb is, when something is grown to be used as an Ornamental, not specifically as a Food Crop, then, don’t eat it. You don’t know what’s been applied to it in the growing process. This goes for pansies and other “edible flowers,” too.

Ornamental cabbage and kale are available at our garden centers now. Be sure to watch for it and add it to your fall-color palette!

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