This species has been cultivated as a food crop for many hundreds of years and, in that time, several quite distinct forms have arisen. The nomenclature of these forms is confused, to say the least, and by no means universally accepted. We have followed the treatment used by GRIN, though it is very likely to be revised in the future[].

Common Name: Chinese Kale

General Information

Chinese kale is a short-lived, erect perennial plant derived in cultivation from the wild cabbage. It has a strongly elongated, but not fleshy, stem base, growing around 50cm tall[].
Closely related to broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica), this species is often cultivated in the Orient for its edible leaves and flowering stems[, ]

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

A cultivated form of Brassica oleracea.

Habitat

Not known in the wild, it probably originated in the Mediterranean and is very close to Brassica oleracea costata, the Couve tronchuda[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.50 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated

Cultivation Details

Plants tolerate several degrees of frost once they are past the seedling stage[]. They also tolerate higher summer temperatures than most members of this genus[]. Most cultivars have been developed in the warmer parts of China and are best suited to warmer conditions, including the tropics, though some forms have been developed that are more suitable for the cooler conditions found in cool to warm temperate areas[].
An easily grown plant[], it succeeds in full sun in a well-drained but moisture-retentive fertile preferably alkaline soil[, , ]. Prefers a heavy soil[]. Plants prefer a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5[]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil[].
There are several named forms[].
A perennial plant, it is usually cultivated as an annual []. It is fairly slow-growing, but it provides a crop over a long period in the summer and autumn[]. In a suitable climate they can crop for a period of six months[].
Plants take about 3 months from sowing to their first harvest[].
Yields of 2 kg per square metre of the flowering stems can be obtained[].
Plants can be transplanted, if moved under cover in the autumn they will continue to grow slowly and provide a crop all winter[].

Edible Uses

Young flowering shoots and small leaves- raw or cooked[, , ]. Delicious if used when fairly young though they can become tough with age[]. Older stems should be peeled[]. All parts of the growing plant are used, including the developing inflorescence[]. Plants take about 3 months from sowing to their first harvest[]. Either the whole plant can be harvested, or, if a further harvest is required, just the terminal shoot is harvested which encourages the development of lateral shoots[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in succession from late spring to late summer or even early autumn in favoured areas[]. The heaviest yields are from the mid to late summer sowings[]. Early sowings may bolt if there is a period of cold weather[].
Cuttings of lateral shoots root easily and can be used to produce more plants[].