Kale

62 days. Brassica oleracea. Open Pollinated. Lacinato Kale. This early maturing plant produces high yields of flavorful, blue green kale leaves. It is sweet and tender. Used fresh in salads, on sandwiches, in soups, or cooked. It is best eaten when the leaves are small and tender. The flavor is enhanced by frost. Also known as Dinosaur Kale, Tuscan Kale, Black Cabbage Kale, Black Kale, Black Palm Kale, Cavolo Palmizio Kale, Nero di Toscana Kale, and Tuscan Black Palm Cabbage. Suitable for hydroponic gardening. Cold Tolerant. An excellent choice for home gardens, market growers, and open field production. Grown by Jefferson at Monticello, Virginia, USA. A 1700s heirloom from Tuscany, Italy.

50 days. Brassica napus. Open Pollinated. Red Russian Kale. This early variety produces excellent yields of flavorful red and blue-green kale leaves with pretty purple-red veins and stems. Very flavorful and tender. Perfect for steaming, boiling, baking, soups, or stir-frying. Also, a good freezing variety. Highly nutritional with powerful antioxidants. Very winter hardy, withstands colder weather, tolerates cold temperatures to -10 F. Cold Tolerant. It will continuously produce greens throughout the season: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Also known as Buda Kale and Ragged Jack Kale. Suitable for hydroponic gardening. An excellent choice for home gardens, market growers, and open field production. United States Department of Agriculture, AMES 26645. A pre-1885 heirloom from Russia.