We depend on donations from users of our database of over 8000 edible and useful plants to keep making it available free of charge and to further extend and improve it. In recent months donations are down, and we are spending more than we receive. Please give what you can to keep PFAF properly funded. More >>>

Follow Us:

 

Brassica oleracea alboglabra - (L.H.Bailey)Musil.

Common Name Chinese Kale
Family Brassicaceae or Cruciferae
USDA hardiness Coming soon
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Not known in the wild, it probably originated in the Mediterranean and is very close to B. oleracea costata, the Couve tronchuda[206].
Range A cultivated form of B. oleracea.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Brassica oleracea alboglabra Chinese Kale


http://www.hear.org/starr/
Brassica oleracea alboglabra Chinese Kale
http://www.hear.org/starr/

 

Translate this page:

Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Brassica oleracea alboglabra is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a fast rate.
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

 Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers  Leaves  Shoots
Edible Uses:

Young flowering shoots and small leaves- raw or cooked[2, 16, 46]. Delicious if used when fairly young though they can become tough with age[206]. Older stems should be peeled[206]. All parts of the growing plant are used, including the developing inflorescence[200]. Plants take about 3 months from sowing to their first harvest[200]. 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[200]. Yields of 2 kg per square metre can be obtained[200].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant[206], it succeeds in full sun in a well-drained but moisture-retentive fertile preferably alkaline soil[16, 200, 206]. Prefers a heavy soil[16]. Plants prefer a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5[200]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil[37]. Plants tolerate several degrees of frost once they are past the seedling stage[206]. They also tolerate higher summer temperatures than most members of this genus[206]. Closely related to broccoli (B. oleracea italica), this species is often cultivated in the Orient for its edible leaves and flowering stems[206, 264]. There are several named forms[206]. A perennial plant, it is usually cultivated as an annual [200]. It is fairly slow-growing, but it provides a crop over a long period in the summer and autumn[206]. In a suitable climate they can crop for a period of six months[264]. Most cultivars have been developed in the warmer parts of China and are best suited to warmer conditions than usually occur in Britain, though some forms have been developed that are more suitable for cooler conditions[200]. Plants can be transplanted, if moved under cover in the autumn they will continue to grow slowly and provide a crop all winter[206].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

image

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

Shop Now

Propagation

Seed - sow in succession from late spring to late summer or even early autumn in favoured areas[206]. The heaviest yields are from the mid to late summer sowings[206]. Early sowings may bolt if there is a period of cold weather[206]. Cuttings of lateral shoots root easily and can be used to produce more plants[200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Alliaria petiolataGarlic MustardBiennial1.0 5-8  LMHFSMWe321
Arabidopsis thalianaThale Cress, Mouseear cressAnnual/Biennial0.5 0-0  LMHSNDM011
Arabis alpinaAlpine Rock Cress, Alpine rockcressPerennial0.2 4-8  LMSNM20 
Arabis caucasicaRock Cress, Wall RockcressPerennial0.2 4-9 MLMHSNDM203
Arabis hirsutaHairy rockcress, Mountain rockcress, Creamflower rockcressBiennial/Perennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNDM10 
Arabis lyrataRock Cress, Kamchatka rockcress, Lyrate rockcressBiennial/Perennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNDM10 
Arabis pendula Biennial0.9 -  LMHFSNM10 
Arabis sagittata Biennial/Perennial0.6 -  LMHSNDM10 
Arabis serrata Perennial0.3 6-9  LMHSNM10 
Armoracia rusticanaHorseradish, Red ColePerennial0.7 4-9 FLMHSNM332
Aubrieta deltoideaAubretia, Lilacbush, False RockcressPerennial0.2 4-9 MLMSNDM003
Aurinia saxatilisGolden Alyssum, Basket of goldPerennial0.3 4-10 MLMHNDM003
Barbarea australis Biennial/Perennial0.5 -  LMHSNM21 
Barbarea orthocerasAmerican YellowrocketPerennial0.5 0-0  LMHSNM200
Barbarea vernaLand Cress, Early yellowrocketBiennial0.3 5-9  LMHFSNM30 
Barbarea vulgarisYellow Rocket, Garden yellowrocketPerennial0.4 5-9  LMHSNM310
Brassica balearica Perennial0.0 -  LMHNM10 
Brassica carinataAbyssinian CabbageAnnual1.0 9-12 FLMHSNM423
Brassica creticaMustardPerennial1.0 0-0  LMHNM20 
Brassica elongataElongated mustardBiennial/Perennial0.9 0-0  LMHSNM202
Brassica junceaBrown MustardAnnual0.8 6-9  LMHSNM422
Brassica juncea crispifoliaCurled MustardAnnual0.3 6-9 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea foliosaLeaf MustardAnnual0.3 6-9 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea integrifolia crispifoliaCurled MustardAnnual0.3 6-10 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea integrifolia rugosaHead MustardAnnual0.6 6-10 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea integrifolia strumataLarge Petiole MustardAnnual0.8 6-10 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea integrifolia subintegrifoliaLeaf MustardAnnual0.3 6-10 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea multicepsGreen In The SnowAnnual0.4 6-9 FLMHSNM422
Brassica juncea napiformisRoot MustardAnnual0.8 6-9  LMHSNM422
Brassica juncea rugosaHead MustardAnnual0.6 6-9  LMHSNM422
12345678

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Print Friendly and PDF

Expert comment

Author

(L.H.Bailey)Musil.

Botanical References

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

Add a comment

If you have important information about this plant that may help other users please add a comment or link below. Only comments or links that are felt to be directly relevant to a plant will be included. If you think a comment/link or information contained on this page is inaccurate or misleading we would welcome your feedback at [email protected]. If you have questions about a plant please use the Forum on this website as we do not have the resources to answer questions ourselves.

* Please note: the comments by website users are not necessarily those held by PFAF and may give misleading or inaccurate information.

To leave a comment please Register or login here All comments need to be approved so will not appear immediately.

Subject : Brassica oleracea alboglabra  
© 2010, Plants For A Future. Plants For A Future is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567.