Chinese broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra
Also called Kai-lan, Gai lan and Chinese kale
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitYou eat the STEM, with the leaves and the first white flowers still on it — cut when the buds have just opened, which is the opposite of what you do with broccoli. Fast, and it stands the heat calabrese hates.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 3 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 21 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — an average winter RHS H4, to -10°C
- Size
- 0.4 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Origin
- Southern China
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.