This is not kale, but sea kale (Crambe maritima) a cousin several times removed in the Brassica family. Sea kale is an attractive, silvery-green to purple, leathery leaved plant that grows wild on European sea shores. It has also been lightly domesticated and was a popular vegetable in Victorian England and in the United States in the 1800s. It has long flirted with a return to popularity, but has never quite achieved it. Sea kale is a pretty forgiving perennial vegetable, suitable for a wide range of climates as long as they aren’t too hot and dry in the summer.  Shoots, leaves, florets, roots, and immature seeds are all edible. Plants can be propagated by root cuttings, called thongs, or by seed.

Cultivariable Standard and Mixed Phenotypes should be available every year.  Other varieties are grown in small quantities, may not be available every year, and tend to sell out quickly.