#shetlandcabbage

Plant of the Day

Saturday 31 December 2022

At Inverness Botanic Garden, Scotland, it was great to see the landrace variety of Brassica oleracea Shetland cabbage (Shetland kale) being grown. This has been cultivated on the Shetland Islands since at least the 17th century adapting over time to the conditions. Plants were raised as seedlings in a plantie crub or crö, a small circular stone-walled enclosure. These were then transplanted into larger kale yards, often with protective stone walls. The heads of this variety are quite open with the green leaves becoming tinged pink-purple which deepens as winter progresses. The leaves have a peppery taste.