Name: Brassica oleracea Peacock White or Peacock Red aka Peacock kale
Type of Plant: This feather-leaf cultivar of the ornamental kale is one of the fall annuals sold at garden centers in autumn.
Why I love this: My feeling is this: why buy mums that only last for three or four weeks, when you could plant kale and Snow Princess Lobularia that will look good well past hard frost? In many years and many regions the peacock kale is beautiful through Christmas, so this seems like a no-brainer to me!
I especially love the “Peacock” kales because they are larger and lacy, and if you happen to have some slug or snail damage it’s less noticeable on these than on other varieties.
A Word to the Wise: When you see any of the ornamental cabbages and kales in the garden center in September they are not that colorful. Buy them anyway! These plants grow brighter and more beautiful as the weather gets colder, so although they look more mono-tone now, they will develop into their full glory soon.
There is a blush of pink on the Peacock White variety and the Peacock Pink is very bright as the cold season goes on… every October through December I say to myself, “Next fall I have to plant MORE of these…”
