Purple Flowering Kale
Brassica oleracea var. acephala

And now for something completely out of the ordinary...

It’s a truism that most gardeners tend to force plants into one category or another, and then forever leave them there to never cross the magical boundaries that delineate these categories. This explains why orthodox gardeners often express apprehension, dismay, or even a guffaw under their breaths when they are presented with the thought of planting a vegetable as an ornamental in the flower garden or border. “A vegetable used as an ornamental? How uncouth!”

Also known as ornamental kale, purple flowering kale is a member of the cabbage family, and is most often categorized as a vegetable by those who feel obligated to stereotype plants into categories. It certainly fits the bill as a vegetable; it is edible, quite healthy for you, and goes well in a salad or as a colorful side garnish. To creative gardeners, however, it is a stunning ornamental annual with one highly desirable and enduring attribute; it’s highly ruffled purple, cream and deep green colored foliage, which unlike flowers, persists from planting right through to the first frosts of fall!

Being so closely related to cabbage, purple flowering kale does well in a typical garden environment. It requires nothing less than full sun and good garden soil with adequate moisture, but doesn’t mind cooler summers. Because these plants can grow quite large, allow 1-2 feet between them. As an ornamental, it is best used as a contrast for its purple foliage, accenting yellow or gold flowers extremely well. Other varieties of flowering kale are also available in colors of rose pink and white.