Ornamental Cabbage & Kale

Brassica oleracea
A vigorous cool season annual, reaching up to 1.4 x 1.6 feet.
The foliage can be found in a wide variety of outlines and also colors ranging from white to rose-pink. They look great planted with winter pansies but are often planted along due to the tendency for deer to eat pansies.
In most regions, it is planted in outdoor decorative containers or sometimes as bedding plants during early fall. However in temperate regions with long winters and very cool summers such as coastal Alaska and Newfoundland, it can also be planted during the spring and will survive through the summer. In area with mild winters, it will often persist until early or mid spring, though in most cold winter climates, it starts to decline around Christmas. Just like regular cabbage and kale, this plant will not survive in extended hot weather. It is deer resistant, making it the best cool season annual where deer graze on winter pansies. It thrives in full sun on any moist, fertile, humus-rich, well drained soil.

* photos taken on Oct 30 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Dec 3 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Mar 3 2020 in Columbia, MD

'Chidori Red'

* photos taken on Nov 3 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Nagoya White'

* photos taken on Nov 3 2023 in Columbia, MD

Osaka
Similar in appearance to cabbage but not as tight as Pigion Series. The foliage is blue-green on the outside and ranges from white to pink to rose-purple on the inside.

* photos taken on Dec 3 2019

* photos taken on Feb 7 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 29 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 23 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 5 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Peacock Series'
An ornamental kale with a rounded head in which the outer leaves are horizontal. An individual plant can grow up to 2 feet across and the inner foliage ranges from creamy-white to deep pink. The outer foliage is blue-green.

* photos taken on Dec 28 2018 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 15 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 27 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Dec 7 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Apr 19 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Oct 29 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 29 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Dec 13 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Mar 5 2023 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 3 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Pigeon Series'
Very tight rosettes give it the appearance of cabbage at the grocery store, except that the cabbage heads are gray-blue on the outside and white to rose-pink on the inside.

* photos taken on Nov 4 2020 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Feb 9 2021 in Laurel, MD

* photos taken on Nov 28 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Dec 21 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 3 2023 in Columbia, MD

'Redbor'
Upright in habit, reaching up to 3 feet tall, with very frilled, deep purple foliage.

* photos taken on Jan 5 2016 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Dec 3 2019 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Apr 19 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on Oct 20 2022 in Columbia, MD

* photos taken on Nov 3 2023 in Columbia, MD