Collard Seeds, Georgia Southern or Creole:
Description: (Brassica oleracea). A great old Southern favorite, pre-1880 heirloom. Has a good resistance to heat and cold. Sure, it’s great for the South, but also good up north. Huge yield, a real producer, very tasty, and flavorful. In its 1921 catalog, the J.J. Wilson Seed Co. noted that the variety, with its large, tender leaves, "should be better known." And we couldn’t agree more!
Kale Seeds, Blue Curled Scotch:
Description: (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica). A truly astounding superfood, Blue Curled Scotch kale is packed with health promoting properties, including a range of antioxidants. Studies have shown kale to have anti-inflammatory properties. In a side-by-side study of different kale varieties, curled kales were shown to have the highest concentration of glucosinolates, which studies have shown to have anti-cancer properties. Aside from an incredible host of health benefits, Blue Curled Scotch kale has a pleasant sweet and nutty kale flavor, and is perfect for kale chips.
Description: (Brassica oleracea). This smoky blue lacinato type kale has become a favorite of gardeners and market farmers. Bred by Hank Keogh of Avoca Farms, Dazzling Blue kale is considered a prime example of the renaissance in modern open-source plant breeding. It boasts unparalleled cold hardiness and fantastic purple and blue leaves.
Description: (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica). This tasty Russian variety produces leaves that are only slightly frilled and of top quality. 16-inch plants are very hardy and productive. Tasty and full of nutrients, this plant is a super hardy variety for extended harvests!
Kale Seeds, Japanese Flowering:
Description: (Brassica oleracea var. acephala). Japanese Flowering Kale, or habotan, is one of the most colorful and delicious edible greens we've tasted. With dramatic ruffles and a sublime flavor, its bold fuchsia and cream-colored leaves add sweetness and refinement, making it exceptionally gourmet. This vegetable is perfect for cooking and cool-weather landscaping, as its color and sweetness intensify with frost. Often seen brightening up winter gardens, habotan symbolizes blessings, love, and prosperity, particularly during the Japanese New Year. These rosette-shaped plants, rich in antioxidants, are commonly found in garden beds, borders, and pots, dazzling both in the garden and on the plate.
Description: (Brassica oleracea). This loose-leafed “cabbage” dates back to the early 1800s at least. It has beautiful, deep black-green leaves that can be 24 inches long and are heavily savoyed. This Italian heirloom is popular in Tuscany and central Italy for making fabulous soups and stews. One of the most beautiful and flavorful types you can grow. It is high in vitamins C and A, and a source of calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese. This is truly a miraculous and healthy plant from ancient Italy.
Kale Seeds, Russian Red or Ragged Jack:
Description: (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica). A highly nutritious kale variety with eye-catching color and form, Russian Red is very tender and mild at any size, but especially well-suited to use as baby greens. The oak-type leaves of this pre-1885 heirloom variety have a red tinge, and the stems are purplish-red, adding color to the garden and the dinner plate!
Description: (Brassica oleracea). Super simple to grow, this smooth and broad-leafed kale displays gorgeous blue/green foliage with brilliant white veins, and thrives with ferocious vigor with hardly any input. Sahara Kale thrives where others falter, enduring both scorching desert-hot days and cold desert nights. The seeds of this heat-loving kale were passed to us by Joseph Simcox after his journey to the rugged oasis near Ouarzazate, Morocco. This kale is one of the most versatile choices for a diverse range of climates. Sahara Kale shines in the kitchen with its rich, delectably succulent smooth leaves bursting with flavor. We love this highly adaptable kale from North Africa.
Description: (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica). A lovely curled “red” kale that produces lots of delicious, frilly leaves and takes the chill of winter in stride! Pretty in the flower garden or on the plate. Rich in nutrition and flavor. In our preliminary tests, it had almost as much vitamin C as oranges, the most of any kale we tested in 2020. A true superfood that is so pretty!
Description: (Brassica oleracea). Grow mammoth-sized kale with tender leaves that can reach up to 3 feet long. Also known as "Branching Borecole", this ancient variety was mentioned in 1885 by French seed house Vilmorin as a productive, multi-branching type from the U.K., originally from western France. Traditionally valued in the U.K. as a fodder crop but is now recognized as a delicious culinary option. Its lightly curled leaves make it easier to manage pests like cabbage worms, which are easier to spot and treat. This seed is sourced from Kings Seed of England, a family-owned seed house with a history dating back to 1793.
Description: (Brassica oleracea var. tronchuda). Couve Tronchuda (or Portuguese kale) is the most tender, leafy brassica we have tasted, with a history that traces back to the ancient Celts who once lived on the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is an essential ingredient in Caldo Verde, the national dish of Portugal. Couve Tronchuda is so beloved in Portugal that it enjoys a protected status as a cultural treasure. The large, white-ribbed leaves are tender enough to eat raw in salads. Cooked, their texture resembles spinach more than kale. Unlike kale and collards, however, Couve Tronchuda does not tolerate frost.
Description: (Brassica oleracea). Also known as Tall Jacks, Jersey Cabbage, or Cow Cabbage, this extra-tall kale is said to grow up to 20 feet in its native range, with an average of 6-12 feet in our gardens. Grown in Europe for centuries, mostly on the island of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, where its long sturdy stalks were varnished and turned into canes. The leaves are also considered excellent forage for animals, with the most tender, young greens reserved for table use. Its many unusual uses, coupled with its strikingly tall stature, make it a standout variety from antiquity that we are delighted to see reintroduced to home growers.
