Tired of Pansies? Consider Ornamental Kale

by Lydia Holley December 30, 2024

It is puzzling to me how popular kale has become as a side dish. Even though it has a lot of health benefits, I think it is tough and unpalatable. Perhaps I am cooking it wrong. (Please do not respond with recipes.)

I do, however, love ornamental kale for winter interest in the landscape. Ornamental kale can be grown as a border plant, in containers, or as an annual accent plant. Many have bright purple or pink in them. Some have white. Others have bicolor leaves. Mix or match as you see fit.

Ornamental kale’s color increases when the weather cools. Once temperatures dips to around 50 degrees F, the pigments in its leaves develop. Should the weather turn warm again, their leaves with lose their color and turn green.

One of the best features of ornamental kale is its unusual texture. It adds its own unique charm to plantings since it contrasts well with other leaf textures. Do not be afraid to add several heads of ornamental kale to your outside containers. It can withstand temperatures as low as 5 degrees F, so it should last all winter in East Texas.

One of the most-asked questions about ornamental kale is: can you eat it? The quick answer is yes, but you should be aware of some caveats. Ornamental kale is bred to be showy. It is selected for color, not taste. So, ornamental kale is often more bitter than kale grown to be eaten. However, it can make a lovely, and colorful, garnish to your dishes. For a bit of flair, try adding it to your plate instead of parsley.

Or, if you wanted, you could add garden kale instead of ornamental kale to your plantings and eat from them throughout the winter. That is, if you have found a way to make kale appetizing.

For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].