15 Incredible Kale Varieties For Your Garden

Introduction to Kale Varieties

Kale is one of the most nutritious and versatile leafy greens you can grow in your garden. This superfood has experienced a well-deserved surge in popularity over the past decade, with gardeners and chefs alike discovering its incredible diversity. From frilly-edged curly types to flat-leaved varieties with stunning colors, kale offers something for every garden and plate.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore 15 different kale varieties you can grow in your garden. Whether you’re looking for the sweetest, most tender kale for raw salads or cold-hardy varieties that will survive winter, you’ll find the perfect option for your growing conditions and culinary preferences.

Understanding Kale Types

Most kale varieties belong to the Brassica oleracea species, the same family that includes cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. However, some types like Siberian kale are actually from the Brassica napus species, making them more closely related to turnips. This diversity contributes to the wide range of leaf shapes, textures, colors, and flavors available in the kale world.

Kale varieties can generally be categorized into four main groups:

• Curly kale – characterized by tightly ruffled, frilly leaves
• Lacinato/dinosaur kale – featuring long, narrow leaves with a bumpy texture
• Russian kale – identified by flat, oak-shaped leaves with purple stems
• Ornamental kale – grown primarily for decorative purposes with colorful centers

Popular Curly Kale Varieties

Curly kale is likely what comes to mind when most people think of this vegetable. These varieties feature tightly ruffled, frilly leaves that add wonderful texture to both gardens and dishes.

Winterbor

Winterbor is an exceptionally cold-hardy curly kale that produces blue-green leaves. Growing 2-3 feet tall, this hybrid variety maintains excellent flavor even after frost, which actually enhances its sweetness. The tightly curled leaves make beautiful garnishes and hold up well in hearty soups and stews. Winterbor is ready to harvest in about 60 days from transplanting and continues producing throughout the growing season with proper care.

Redbor

Redbor kale stands out with its stunning burgundy to deep purple frilly leaves. This hybrid variety grows impressively tall, reaching up to 5 feet in ideal conditions. The beautiful purple color intensifies with cold weather, making it both ornamental and edible. Redbor has a mild, cabbage-like flavor that works well in salads and cooked dishes, though some of the vibrant color fades with cooking. Ready to harvest in about 50 days, Redbor is a striking addition to any garden.

Blue Curled Scotch

Also known as Vates kale, Blue Curled Scotch is a beloved heirloom variety with bright blue-green leaves. This compact plant grows only about 2 feet tall, making it perfect for smaller gardens. Ready to harvest in approximately 56 days, it’s an excellent cold-weather performer with exceptional frost resistance. The sweet, slightly nutty flavor of Blue Curled Scotch makes it perfect for kale chips, soups, and stir-fries. Its compact growth habit also makes it suitable for container gardening.

Lacinato Kale Varieties

Lacinato kale, also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale, is distinguished by its long, narrow leaves with a bumpy, dinosaur skin-like texture. These varieties are prized for their tender texture and sweet flavor.

Lacinato (Dinosaur)

The classic Lacinato, also called dinosaur or Tuscan kale, features dark blue-green leaves with a distinctive puckered texture. This Italian heirloom has been cultivated for centuries and is a staple in Tuscan cuisine. The narrow, elongated leaves grow upright to about 2-3 feet tall. Lacinato has a more tender texture and milder, sweeter flavor than curly types, making it excellent for raw salads as well as cooked dishes. It’s particularly delicious in the traditional Tuscan soup, ribollita.

Black Magic

Black Magic is an improved Lacinato variety with extra-dark, nearly black leaves. The leaves are slightly more savoyed (crinkled) than traditional Lacinato, with the same dinosaur skin-like texture. This variety offers excellent cold tolerance and can be harvested even after light frosts, which enhance its sweet flavor. Black Magic is less susceptible to pest damage than some other varieties and works beautifully in both raw and cooked applications.

Dazzling Blue

Dazzling Blue is a stunning Lacinato-type kale with blue-green leaves featuring vibrant purple midribs. This relatively new variety combines the texture of dinosaur kale with the colorful stems of Russian types. The result is both beautiful and delicious, with a sweet, mild flavor that’s less bitter than many other kales. Dazzling Blue is cold-hardy and heat-tolerant, making it one of the most versatile kales for various climates.

Russian Kale Varieties

Russian kale varieties are characterized by flat, oak-shaped leaves often with purple stems and veins. They tend to have the most tender leaves, making them excellent choices for raw preparations.

Red Russian

Red Russian kale features flat, deeply-lobed leaves resembling oak leaves, with purple stems and veins that intensify in color with cold weather. This heirloom variety is more tender than curly types, with a mild, sweet flavor that makes it particularly good for salads and light cooking. Red Russian grows quickly and can be harvested in about 50 days from transplanting. Its cold hardiness makes it perfect for fall planting and winter harvests in mild climates.

White Russian

White Russian is a cross between Red Russian and Siberian kale, featuring oak-shaped leaves with distinctive white midribs instead of purple. This variety develops an exceptional sweetness in cool weather and offers excellent frost tolerance. The tender leaves work beautifully in both raw and cooked dishes. White Russian grows vigorously and can be harvested young for baby greens or allowed to mature for full-sized leaves.

Red Ursa

Red Ursa combines the best traits of Russian and Siberian kales, with frilly-edged, red-veined leaves that offer remarkable cold hardiness. This variety grows quickly and produces abundantly throughout the season. The tender leaves have a mild, sweet flavor even when mature, making Red Ursa versatile for various culinary uses. It performs particularly well in fall gardens, with flavor improving after light frosts.

Siberian Kale

Siberian kale is technically from the Brassica napus species, making it more closely related to turnips than to other kale varieties. It grows wide, flat leaves closer to the ground and is known for its exceptional cold tolerance.

This unique variety features pale green to blue-tinted leaves with ruffled margins and attractive white stems. The leaf surface is flatter than other types, making it excellent for holding sauces and seasonings. Siberian kale is renowned for having the most palatable flavor profile among all kales, with low bitterness and high sweetness. This makes it perfect for tender raw kale salads and gentle cooking methods.

Extremely cold-hardy as its name suggests, Siberian kale can withstand temperatures well below freezing, often surviving through winter in many growing zones. It’s ready to harvest in about 60 days from transplanting and continues producing through cold weather.

Unique and Specialty Kale Varieties

Simone Broadleaf

Simone Broadleaf is often considered one of the most beautiful kale populations, producing various colors and types of wavy leaf edges. This variety displays an impressive range of hues, from glazed green to silvery light green, with some plants featuring purple stems and reddish tints. Developed through a breeding project with the Culinary Breeding Network, Simone Broadleaf descends from the vigorous Gulag Stars kale population.

This variety grows exceptionally quickly and robustly in the garden. In the kitchen, the leaves are easy to strip from the stems, making preparation simple. The flavor is mild and versatile, suitable for both raw and cooked applications.

Chinese Kale (Gai Lan)

Chinese kale, also known as Gai Lan or Chinese broccoli, is a unique variety that looks quite different from other types. It features glossy, thick stems and small, rounded dark green leaves. Unlike other kales where the leaves are the primary harvest, with Chinese kale both the stems and leaves are eaten. It has a stronger, more distinct flavor that’s wonderful in stir-fries and Asian-inspired dishes.

Chinese kale grows quickly and can be harvested in about 60 days. It prefers cool weather but is less cold-hardy than other varieties, making it better suited for spring and fall gardens rather than winter harvests.

Ornamental Kale Varieties

Ornamental kale varieties are bred primarily for their decorative appearance, featuring vibrant colors arranged in rosette patterns. While they’re edible, their flavor is typically more bitter than culinary varieties, but they make stunning additions to garden borders and cool-weather containers.

Crane Red

Crane Red ornamental kale forms beautiful rosettes of ruffled leaves that transition from green outer leaves to vibrant red centers. This variety grows about 12-18 inches tall and wide, creating a striking display in fall and winter gardens. While edible, it’s primarily grown for ornamental purposes. Crane Red takes about 110 days to reach maturity and is also available in pink and white variations.

Nagoya Rose

Nagoya Rose features deeply crinkled leaves that form tight rosettes with bright rose-pink centers surrounded by blue-green outer leaves. This ornamental variety creates a flower-like appearance that adds dramatic color to winter gardens and container arrangements. Like other ornamental types, Nagoya kale takes approximately 90 days to develop its full color and form. It’s also available in red and white variations.

Sunrise/Sunset

These companion varieties feature small, compact heads with finely serrated leaves. Sunrise displays creamy white centers with delicate pink accents, while Sunset showcases vibrant pink centers. Both varieties have green outer leaves that fade to their respective center colors, creating a beautiful gradient effect. They mature in about 110 days and are perfect for adding winter interest to gardens when few other plants are thriving.

Growing Tips for All Kale Varieties

While different kale varieties have unique characteristics, most share similar growing requirements:

• Plant in full sun to part shade (more shade in hot climates)
• Provide rich, well-draining soil with plenty of organic matter
• Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged
• Space plants 12-18 inches apart, depending on variety
• Harvest outer leaves first, allowing the center to continue growing
• For the sweetest flavor, harvest after a light frost

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Which kale variety is the best for beginners?

A: Curly kale varieties like Blue Curled Scotch and Winterbor are excellent choices for beginners due to their hardiness, disease resistance, and forgiving nature. Red Russian is also a good option as it grows quickly and is versatile in the kitchen.

Q: What is the sweetest kale variety?

A: Siberian kale is widely considered the sweetest and least bitter variety, making it perfect for those who find other kales too strong. White Russian and Lacinato kale are also known for their milder, sweeter flavors.

Q: Can I grow kale in containers?

A: Yes, many kale varieties grow well in containers, especially compact types like Blue Curled Scotch. Choose containers at least 12 inches deep and wide, use high-quality potting soil, and ensure adequate drainage.

Q: When is the best time to plant kale?

A: Kale is typically planted in early spring for early summer harvest or in late summer for fall and winter harvests. Many varieties actually improve in flavor after light frosts, making them excellent fall crops.

Q: How do I prevent pests on my kale plants?

A: Cover young plants with floating row covers to prevent cabbage worms and other pests. Companion plant with aromatic herbs like thyme and rosemary to deter pests. Regularly inspect leaves for eggs and caterpillars, removing them by hand or with an organic insecticidal soap if needed.

Author

medha deb

 

Medha Deb is an editor with a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad. She believes that her qualification has helped her develop a deep understanding of language and its application in various contexts.

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