Showy ornamental selections of the same species as kale and cabbage, with frilly or feathery rosette leaves in cream, pink, magenta, or purple developing their strongest colour with the first autumn frosts.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 2–11 | −45.6 °C to 10 °C | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
| RHS hardiness rating | H5 | −15 °C to −10 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 2–9 | −40 °C and warmer | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 1–7 | −15 °C and warmer | Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating |
As a tender annual, Ornamental kale (Flowering cabbage) doesn't overwinter — the zone range shows where the growing season supports it. See the RHS rating for its actual cold tolerance.
Growing notes
- Plant as autumn bedding — leaf colour intensifies dramatically after the first frosts, holding through winter in mild climates
- Edible leaves — the same species as edible kale and just as edible, although the leaves are tougher and less flavoursome than culinary cabbage cultivars
- Best treated as autumn-through-spring bedding; runs to flower and becomes unsightly in warm weather
- Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars eat ornamental kale as readily as the culinary form
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Ornamental kale (Flowering cabbage) against your zones