Old-Timey Blue Collards
These have been the most cold-hardy, the least bothered by pests, and the mildest in flavor of all the collards I have tried. It has resisted aphids better than other cabbage family crops. They have proved to be fully perennial in my garden in zone 7, even though I am letting them set seed for harvest. (Often vegetables are only perennial if you take off the flowering stems.) This photo is in winter--if you look closely, you can see ice on the leaves.
This old-time variety was grown for over a hundred years by the Blackwell family. "Blue" or purple collards are rare now, but were favored in homestead days for their flavor, cold-hardiness, and resistance to disease. These were used both as fresh cooking greens and for fermenting into sauerkraut, a preservation method that both increases nutrients and makes food more digestible. I am so pleased to be able to offer these rare greens to a new generation of gardeners. Brassica oleracea