Herb: Chinese Kale


Latin name: Brassica oleracea alboglabra


Synonyms: Brassica alboglabra


Family: Cruciferae



Edible parts of Chinese Kale:

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. Yields of 2 kg per square metre can be obtained.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
50 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
May to
August

Habitat of the herb:

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

Propagation of Chinese Kale:

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.

Cultivation of the herb:

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

Medicinal use of Chinese Kale:

None known

Known hazards of Brassica oleracea alboglabra:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.