Kale
Brassica oleracea
Also called Curly kale and Cavolo nero
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitFrost improves it — the leaves sweeten after a cold night. Pick from the bottom upward.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Medium
- 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
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 0.75 m tall · 0.75 m across
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Origin
- Eastern Mediterranean
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects horses. Signs: stomach and gut irritation, with belly pain (colic).
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 Johnny's Selected Seeds on 2026-07-31.
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.
First signs of trouble
- A cluster of yellow-and-black caterpillars packed under one leaf, or a scatter of dark green grit on the leaf below them, before anything is eaten to the ribs.Cabbage white caterpillar · pest
- Plants wilt in the middle of a warm day and recover by evening; lift one and the roots are swollen into knobbly clubs instead of fine white threads.Clubroot · disease
- A grey-white waxy colony packed into the crumpled heart of the plant, with the leaf above it puckered and yellow-blotched.Mealy cabbage aphid · pest