// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Kale

Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)

Kale (Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)) is a cultivated biennial food crop grown for its edible leaf. Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family). Originally from Eastern Mediterranean. Hardy in zones 3a–11a. Mature size 1'–2'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Oct–May (overwinters).

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family)
Group: crop · biennial
Origin: Eastern Mediterranean · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 3a–11a
Mature size: 1'–2'
Sun: Sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Edible parts: leaf
Harvest (NE OK): Oct–May (overwinters)
Garden role: cold-hardy brassica · fall-through-spring greens · sweetens after frost

Kale (Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)) — *Brassica oleracea (Acephala Group)* — Kale. Photo by Rasbak via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: cold-hardy brassica · fall-through-spring greens · sweetens after frost. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, kale pairs well with: Onion (Allium cepa), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Beet (Beta vulgaris (Conditiva Group)), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris).