Lacinato kale (Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia)

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Lacinato kale

Habit (mature) · goldlocki / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Lacinato kale

Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia

A productive cool-season edible Brassica (a wild-cabbage cultivar in the Acephala / non-heading group, alongside collards). Upright blue-green strap-shaped leaves with strong kitchen-garden value and ornamental texture; grown as a cool-season annual or short-lived biennial.

Review: Source-backed

Climate fit: narrow (31/100)

Edible

Filler

Light

Full sun / Part sun

Water

Consistent moisture

Mature size

24-36" tall · 18" apart

Hardy in zones

6a-9b (biennial); annual elsewhere

cold to frosty winters

Summer heat range

Cool-Mild

cool to mild summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.

Native in Illinois

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Seed starting

Trays, cells, humidity domes, heat mats, grow lights, and seed-starting mix.

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Acid-soil care

Sulfur, acid-loving plant fertilizer, pine bark, and pH monitoring.

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Soil testing and pH

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Drainage and aeration

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Cold hardiness

Now

Zone 6b

USDA

Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer

Well-suited

2050

Zone 7b

Plotwright

Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)

Well-suited

In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.

✓

Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.

Heat tolerance

°C

°F

Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…

Where this plant fits

Suitable across 41 ecoregions — 38 climate-resilient through 2070 · 1 suited today · 2 newly possible by 2070. Best matches first.

Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests

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Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests

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Arizona Mountains forests

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Atlantic coastal pine barrens

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Blue Mountains forests

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Canadian Aspen forests and parklands

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Central Pacific Northwest coastal forests

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Central Tallgrass prairie

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Central-Southern Cascades Forests

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Chilean Matorral

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Appears in collections

Collection · 3 plants

Kitchen patio planters

A compact edible collection for containers, patios, and near-door harvesting.

Genovese basil

Lacinato kale

Coral bells

Sources & citations

Cite this page

For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.

Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Lacinato kale (Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/kale

Sources for every fact

Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited — 18 source-backed.

NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

University extension service

Backs 17 fields

Identity

Summary

Plant type

Light

Moisture

Hardiness

Heat zone

Size

Spacing

Habit

Design roles

Seasonal interest

Growth stages

Lifecycle

Regional guidance

Success tips

Designer notes

Wikimedia Commons

Photo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Backs 1 field

Image

Community photos

The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.

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