Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs
Red Russian kale
Brassica napus 'Red Russian'
Red Russian kale brings flat, toothed green leaves with purple veins and stems to the edible garden. Its leaves can be picked young for salads or harvested repeatedly for bunching and light cooking. Plants generally reach about 1½ to 3 feet tall and 4 inches to 1½ feet wide; these are mature crop dimensions, not a ten-year estimate. Give it full sun and fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Start plants in spring or fall for cool-season harvests. In Southwest Washington, it fits a sunny food bed; it is also recommended for Oregon’s cool coastal climate.
Ask about this plantAt a glance
- Mature height
- About 1½–3 feet
- Mature spread
- About 4 inches–1½ feet
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Cool-season crop; generally grown as an annual or biennial
The right plant, the right place
Make room for something good.
Grow this kale in a sunny food bed for baby leaves or larger bunches. The flat leaves can be used in salads or lightly cooked.
Where to plant
Choose a spot in full sun with space for plants that may reach about 3 feet tall. Keep them accessible for repeated leaf picking.
Through the seasons
Green leaves with purple veins and stems provide the main harvest. If plants bolt, they may bear yellow flowers that early bees visit.
Southwest Washington gardens
Give it a good start.
Red Russian is recommended for Oregon’s cool coastal climate. In Southwest Washington, grow it as a cool-season crop and watch young plants for flea beetles.
Soil, drainage & water
Plant in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Keep the root zone moist while allowing excess water to drain.
A little care goes a long way
Growing well, season after season.
Pick leaves repeatedly for a cut-and-come-again harvest. Plants in this kale group can be started from seed or transplants in spring or fall.
Know what to look for
Common growing concerns.
Symptoms can have more than one cause. These notes are a starting point for observing your plant and improving its growing conditions.
Flea beetles
Small, round holes in leaves; heavy feeding can severely damage seedlings.
Help your plant thrive
Clear nearby weeds that may attract flea beetles, and check young plants early in the season.
Cabbage maggot
Root tunneling followed by yellowing, stunting, wilting or plant death.
Help your plant thrive
Put row covers over young plants before adult flies emerge. Avoid covering previously infested soil or replanting susceptible crops there the next year.
A little more inspiration
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Ribes uva-crispa 'Little Ben'
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Red huckleberry
Vaccinium parvifolium
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Explore this plantScarlet Ovation Evergreen Huckleberry
Vaccinium ovatum 'Scarlet Ovation'
Scarlet Ovation is a compact evergreen huckleberry with colorful new growth, spring flowers, and edible berries. Plant in acidic, well-drained soil for low hedges or groups.
Explore this plantGood gardens start with a conversation
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for your place.
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