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cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

Brassica oleracea is an upright to branching herb whose older stems can become woody. Sources differ on its life cycle: wild forms are generally biennial to short-lived perennial, while cultivated forms may be annual to biennial, with perennial forms also occurring.

LightFull sun is best, although partial sun is also tolerated.
WaterKeep the soil moist but well drained, avoiding prolonged waterlogging.
TemperatureBrassica oleracea is reported to be frost hardy.
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Overview

Brassica oleracea is an upright to branching herb whose older stems can become woody. Sources differ on its life cycle: wild forms are generally biennial to short-lived perennial, while cultivated forms may be annual to biennial, with perennial forms also occurring.

Origin and habitat

Sources differ on its native range, describing coastal western to southwestern Europe, with more specific wild records from the coasts of France, Spain, and Britain, while some also include Mediterranean coasts within its native or ancestral range. Wild forms occur mainly in coastal environments, especially limestone sea cliffs, coastal cliffs, dunes, and shingle areas, and tolerate substantial coastal exposure. It is adapted to maritime to temperate environments of western Europe and Mediterranean coasts; wild forms tolerate coastal exposure, and many cultivated forms are cool-season crops.

Characteristics

Sources differ on mature height, placing it at about 40–200 cm. With few sources available, mature spread is reported to be about 10–50 cm. Leaves are alternate; wild forms have large, thick, fleshy leaves, often gray-green to blue-green with a waxy bloom, with stalked lower leaves that may have wavy or toothed margins and smaller upper leaves that are often stalkless; a leaf rosette may form in the first year. The flowers are yellow to sulfur-yellow, with petals arranged in a cross shape and borne in clusters on elongated inflorescences.

Light

Full sun is best, although partial sun is also tolerated.

Watering

Keep the soil moist but well drained, avoiding prolonged waterlogging.

Temperature and dormancy

Brassica oleracea is reported to be frost hardy.

Growing medium and mounting

It is suited to fertile, well-drained soil and can grow in sandy, loamy, clay, and chalky soils; it prefers neutral to alkaline, or at least not excessively acidic, soil and grows well in nitrogen-rich soil.

Feeding

It has relatively high nitrogen requirements and is suited to fertile soil; high-yield cultivation may substantially deplete soil nutrients.

Propagation

It is generally propagated by seed.

Common problems

It is reported to be susceptible to damage from slugs, snails, aphids, and other pests of cruciferous vegetables. It tolerates substantial coastal exposure, and the thick, fleshy leaves of wild forms help store water and nutrients.

Identification

Large, thick gray-green or blue-green leaves may form a rosette, while mature plants produce tall flower stems that can become woody and bear yellow flowers with petals arranged in a cross shape; the species is highly variable in form and includes cultivated vegetable forms such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and Chinese kale.

Photos

Brassica oleracea
📷 MPF · CC BY 2.5 · source
Brassica oleracea
📷 Daderot · Public domain · source
Brassica oleracea
📷 rmjb, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · source

Sources