Sea Kale

Crambe maritima

Sea kale is a popular vegetable in parts of Europe and was widely grown in colonial America. Shoots are typically cut in Spring when 8” long, blanched, steamed, and eaten like asparagus. Young leaves, flower buds, and roots can be eaten raw or cooked like spinach. It is also a very charming plant to grow in the garden, with big, gray, wavy leaves, and sprays of cute little creamy white button flowers that make a translucent pea-like fruit that tastes like radish.

Water: Moderate

Hardiness: Frost Hardy

Habit: Herbaceous perennial to 3' tall

Light: Full Sun

Soil: Best grown in rich, sandy well-draining loam

Origin: Coastal seashores of Europe, North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and the Black Sea

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Sea Kale