9 Top Types of Ornamental Cabbage (Flowering Kale)

By
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh
Jamie McIntosh has written about gardening and special occasion flowers for the Spruce since 2011. She has more than 20 years of experience caring for flowers and plants. She was a feature writer for Organic Gardening at Suite101, where she won awards for her writing.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 09/12/22
Reviewed by
Mary Marlowe Leverette
mary marlowe leverette spruce gardening board
Reviewed by Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary has been a Master Gardener for 30+ years and a commercial and residential gardener for 50+ years. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Pigeon white ornamental cabbage stacked on each other with creamy white centers

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

It's easy to overlook ornamental cabbages and flowering kales at the garden center during the fall, when mums are blazing, or in the spring when pansies are popping. Young ornamental cabbages and kales don't look all that different from the vegetable varieties recommended for healthy eating. Young plants are just so—well, leafy.

But wait until a frosty night breathes life into these cruciferous lovelies. Bright pink, frosty white, and moody purple tones appear on leaves that grow ever larger as the plants mature, giving hostas a run for their money when it comes to winsome foliage. Leaves are often deeply ruffled, giving each plant the effect of a single, giant frost-proof blossom. Best of all, ornamental cabbages and kales are a piece of cake for a first-time gardener to grow, requiring nothing more than a sunny site and a shovelful of compost to get them off to a healthy start. 

It can be confusing to distinguish between the terms "cabbage" and "kale" when it comes to these ornamental varieties. Technically, they're all kales, but those sold as kales tend to produce their leaves in tight rosettes with ruffled leaves. Those sold as cabbages form denser heads with more rounded leaves. In the horticultural trade, "flowering kale" is the term used for varieties with curly, frilly, or ruffled leaves, while "ornamental cabbage" is the term used for types with flat leaves edged with a contrasting color. 

Here are nine ornamental cabbage and flowering kale varieties to consider for your garden.

Gardening Tip

Although these plants can be grown in zones 10 and 11, they need a good chilling to produce their best color. In warmer zones, plant them in more sheltered areas away from too much direct sun. If your region never sees temperatures approaching the freezing point, choose varieties based on the leaf texture, since you may not see the vibrant colors enjoyed by cooler areas.

  • 01 of 09

    'Color-Up Pink' (Brassica oleracea 'Color-Up Pink')

    'Color-Up Pink' ornamental cabbage with pink foliage

    DM / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    The Color-Up series of plants fall under the cabbage species B. oleracea. The cultivar 'Color-Up Pink' features minty-green leaves with a blush center and an upright growth habit that looks perky in the garden when a hard freeze has knocked everything else flat. The appearance of color in ornamental cabbages and kales depends on two factors: temperatures below 50 degrees and time between 40–60 days, depending on the variety. You can expect to see the first flushes of pink on this ornamental cabbage after about 54 days. 

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11 (grown as annuals)
    • Height: 10 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 02 of 09

    'Osaka Red' (Brassica oleracea 'Osaka Red')

    'Osaka Red' cabbage with purple foliage

    daryl_mitchell / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    An outer ring of purple leaves surrounds a vibrant magenta center on this stunning ornamental cabbage cultivar. These vigorous plants have compact heads that reach eight inches across and one foot high. The most intense coloration will appear when temperatures range between 35 and 45 degrees. Purple and fuchsia leaves pop against a background of snow. 

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11 (grown as annuals)
    • Height: 12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 03 of 09

    'Condor' (Brassica oleracea 'Condor')

    'Condor' cabbage in a flower arrangement

    kobzev3179 / Getty Images

    The unusual long stems of the 'Condor' ornamental cabbage make it a florist's favorite. Plants grow up to 30 inches high, but the heads are petite and look best planted in groups of eight or more. Bright green outer leaves encircle bright white leaves with just a hint of blush. This ornamental cabbage makes a sweet focal point in the winter container garden. The Condor series includes red and white varieties as well as those with white-with-pink centers.

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11 (grown as annuals)
    • Height: 24–30 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 04 of 09

    'Pigeon Red' (Brassica oleracea 'Pigeon Red')

    'Pigeon Red' ornamental cabbage with magenta centers
    Iryna_L / Getty Images

    The green foliage on the outer leaves of 'Pigeon Red' is enhanced by white veining that plays off the bright pink center of the plants. Sow seeds about six weeks before the average first frost in your area to achieve large transplants that will be garden-ready when temperatures drop. Seeds need light for germination, so press them into the soil, but do not cover them. 

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11 (grown as annuals)
    • Height: 8–12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    Continue to 5 of 9 below.
  • 05 of 09

    'Pigeon White' (Brassica oleracea 'Pigeon White')

    Pigeon white ornamental cabbage with creamy white center closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The creamy white centers of 'Pigeon White' look like the icing on a cupcake and have just as much taste appeal to some vegetable garden pests. Ornamental cabbage varieties like 'Pigeon White' can thrive in both spring and fall, but you may have better luck avoiding insects like cabbage worms, aphids, and cutworms with a late fall planting. In addition to the red and white varieties, the Pigeon series also offers pink and purple options.

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11 (grown as annuals)
    • Height: 8–12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 06 of 09

    'Rose Bouquet' (Brassica oleracea 'Rose Bouquet')

    'Rose Bouquet' ornamental cabbage with pink centers

    Bonita de Boer / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    The lush pink center and wavy foliage of 'Rose Bouquet' works well as a single specimen plant in containers or as a mass planting in the landscape. Plant this ornamental cabbage variety in well-drained soil, amended with a generous amount of composted manure or other organic matter. This will help prevent some of the common diseases that afflict all ornamental cabbages, including damping off disease and botrytis. 

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
    • Height: 8–12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 07 of 09

    'Tokyo Pink' (Brassica oleracea 'Tokyo Pink')

    'Tokyo Pink' ornamental cabbage with pink center

    ccharmon / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    Ornamental cabbages like 'Tokyo Pink' make the chore of replacing tattered annuals a joyful one. Add in some snapdragons, Swiss chard, and violets for a long-lasting garden display that might make it past the New Year. The Tokyo series forms one of the most "cabbage-like" heads of the ornamental varieties of B. oleracea, with leaves that form a dense center.

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
    • Height: 8–12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • 08 of 09

    'Tokyo Red' (Brassica oleracea 'Tokyo Red')

    'Tokyo Red' ornamental cabbage with pink center

    Adeel Anwer / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    The Tokyo ornamental cabbage series will please the gardener who values a formal look, as the plants are reliably symmetrical, featuring a compact and very round central head. 'Tokyo Red' has bluish-green foliage and a hot pink center that only takes about 40 days to develop a full coloration. 

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
    • Height: 8–12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    Continue to 9 of 9 below.
  • 09 of 09

    'Tokyo White' (Brassica oleracea 'Tokyo White')

    'Tokyo White' ornamental cabbage with cream centers

    jacinta lluch valero / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    The large lusty leaves of 'Tokyo White' will satisfy any floral craving you feel during winter's deprivation. Round green leaves transition to white with veining and a creamy blush center that looks stunning in a mass planting. Tuck a few 'Tokyo White' cabbages into a window box planting, and add some evergreen accent branches for a design worthy of a magazine cover. 

    • Native Area: Southern and western Europe
    • USDA Growing Zones: 2–11
    • Height: 8–12 inches
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
How to Grow and Care for Ornamental Cabbage or Kale