Cabbage
Brassica oleracea
Also known as: Chinese Kale
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Genus:
- Brassica
- Species:
- Brassica oleracea
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 3-4 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
- Food Forest:
- Plant contains edible parts
Native Range
United States: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Guam, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Palau, Rhode Island, Texas, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Virginia, Washington, Canada: Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), Beet Webworm (Loxostege sticticalis), Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata), bicolored sallow (Sunira bicolorago), Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), Bronzed Cutworm (Nephelodes minians), cabbage budworm moth (Hellula phidilealis), Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), cabbage webworm (Hellula rogatalis), cabbage webworm (Hellula undalis), Celery leaftier (Udea rubigalis), Celery Looper (Anagrapha falcifera), clandestine dart (Spaelotis clandestina), clover cutworm (Agrotis gladiaria), Common Looper Moth (Autographa precationis), corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), cross-striped cabbageworm (Evergestis rimosalis), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), Diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), dingy cutworm (Feltia jaculifera), Euxoa infausta, Euxoa intrita, Euxoa ochrogaster, Euxoa scandens, Euxoa tessellata, Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), Flame Carpet (Xanthorhoe designata), flax tortrix (Cnephasia asseclana), Giant leopard moth (Hypercompe scribonia), glassy cutworm (Apamea devastator), Gothic dart (Feltia subgothica), Greater Red Dart (Abagrotis alternata), kidney-spotted minor (Lacinipolia renigera), Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba), Lobed Looper Moth (Megalographa biloba), Mamestra curialis, Mexican leafroller (Amorbia emigratella), nutmeg (Discestra trifolii), Old Man Dart (Agrotis vetusta), Palmetto Borer Moth (Litoprosopus futilis), Pyroderces badia, rascal dart moth (Agrotis malefida), Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea), Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), Southern armyworm (Spodoptera eridania), Soybean Looper (Pseudoplusia includens), speckled cutworm (Lacanobia subjuncta), spotted eustixia moth (Eustixia pupula), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), Striped Garden Caterpillar Moth (Trichordestra legitima), Striped rice borer (Chilo suppressalis), Sutor moth (Condica sutor), Sweetpotato Armyworm (Spodoptera dolichos), True Lover's Knot (Lycophotia porphyrea), underworld dart (Agrotis subterranea), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata), Xanthorhoe iduata, Yellow-headed Cutworm (Apamea amputatrix), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli), zebra caterpillar moth (Melanchra picta), Checkered White (Pontia protodice), Small White (Pieris rapae)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis) Butterflies:American Copper (Lycaena hypophlaeas), American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), Azure sp. (Celastrina Tutt), Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), (Pieris rapae), (Pieris rapae), Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus canadensis), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Clouded Yellows (Colias Fabricius), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), (Hesperia comma), (Hesperia comma), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Ringlet (North America) (Coenonympha california), Common Ringlet (North America) (Coenonympha california), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Crescents (Phyciodes Hübner), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Duskywing sp. (Erynnis Schrank), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Great Spangled Fritillary (Argynnis cybele), Great Spangled Fritillary (Argynnis cybele), Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis), Horace's Duskywing (Gesta Evans), Large Heath (Coenonympha tullia), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Little Glassywing (Vernia verna), Little Glassywing (Vernia verna), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa), Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa), Long Dash Skipper (Limochores Scudder), Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona), Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona), ⚠️Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Northern Pearly-eye (Lethe anthedon), Northern Pearly-eye (Lethe anthedon), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Peck's Skipper (Polites coras), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Red-spotted Admiral (Limenitis arthemis), Red-spotted Admiral (Limenitis arthemis), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia), Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Tiger Swallowtails and Allies (Pterourus Scopoli), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), (Pieris Hübner), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to coastal areas with moderate fertility