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Brassica oleracea medullosa
  • Marrow-Stem Kale

a biennial or perennial member of the Brassica genus in the family Brassicaceae.

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • light shade
    Light shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • very acid,acid,neutral,alkaline,very alkaline
    Very acid to Very alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Heavy clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Leaves - raw or cooked[1][2][3]. A strong cabbage flavour, they are delicious if used when fairly young though they can become tough with age[K]. The leaves are usually available from autumn to late spring, and can be harvested all through the winter in all but the very coldest of seasons[K]. Young flowering shoots - raw or cooked. Picked before the flowers open, they are fairly tender and can be used as part of a mixed salad. When cooked, they have a delicious flavour similar to sprouting broccoli[K].
There are no edible uses listed for Brassica oleracea medullosa.

Material uses

There are no material uses listed for Brassica oleracea medullosa.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Brassica oleracea medullosa.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow in a seedbed outdoors in April/May. Plant out into their permanent positions in the summer as space permits. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy and will not make such good plants. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them rather deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Brassica oleracea medullosa. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[2][4]. Prefers a heavy soil[2]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil[5]. Shade tolerant, growing well on a north border[5]. Succeeds in maritime gardens[4]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.2 to 8.3.

A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[4]. It also tolerates high summer temperatures[4].

Marrow-stem kales are not often cultivated for their edible leaves since these are coarser than other types of kale. They are, however, very cold tolerant and can be grown to provide a winter crop even in the coldest areas of Britain. There are several named forms[6][4] but this vegetable has fallen out of favour somewhat since it is considered be coarser than other vegetables that can be imported from warmer areas in the winter.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Brassica oleracea medullosa. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Brassica oleracea medullosa.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Brassica oleracea medullosa
Genus
Brassica
Family
Brassicaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2][3]
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
Botanic
[4]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
light shade
Soil PH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
  • Strong wind
  • Maritime exposure
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
?
Herbaceous or Woody
?
Life Cycle
biennial, perennial
Growth Rate
?
Mature Size
0.9 x meters
Fertility
self fertile
Pollinators
Bees
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
hermaphrodite











References

  1. ? 1.01.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)
  2. ? 2.02.12.22.3 Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-050-0 (1977-00-00)
  3. ? 3.03.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.14.24.34.44.5 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
  5. ? 5.05.1 Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. (1878-00-00)
  6. ? Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)


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Facts about "Brassica oleracea medullosa"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyBrassicaceae +
Belongs to genusBrassica +
Has binomial nameBrassica oleracea medullosa +
Has common nameMarrow-Stem Kale +
Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
Has environmental toleranceMaritime exposure + and High wind +
Has fertility typeSelf fertile + and Bees +
Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
Has lifecycle typeBiennial + and Perennial +
Has mature height0.9 +
Has search namebrassica oleracea medullosa + and marrow-stem kale +
Has shade toleranceLight shade +
Has soil ph preferenceVery acid +, Acid +, Neutral +, Alkaline + and Very alkaline +
Has soil texture preferenceSandy +, Loamy +, Clay + and Heavy clay +
Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomic rankSpecies +
Has taxonomy nameBrassica oleracea medullosa +
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
PFAF cultivation notes migratedNo +
PFAF edible use notes migratedNo +
PFAF material use notes migratedYes +
PFAF medicinal use notes migratedYes +
PFAF propagation notes migratedNo +
PFAF toxicity notes migratedYes +
Tolerates maritime exposureYes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
Tolerates windYes +
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +