Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia.
The classic Italian kale — native to Tuscany and inseparable from the peasant cuisine of that region, still today a pillar of Tuscan gastronomic identity on par with olive oil and pecorino. Known under several names that say a lot about its personality: Cavolo Nero ("black cabbage" in Italian, in reference to the very dark colour of its leaves), Nero di Toscana ("black of Tuscany," the traditional provincial name), or in English Dinosaur Kale ("dinosaur kale," because of the bumpy leaf texture that recalls the skin of a great reptile).
Different from the Scottish Dwarf Curled Scotch curly kale and the Siberian Red Russian kale, this is the Mediterranean representative — with long flat leaves rather than curly or oak-shaped. The botanical epithet palmifolia means "palm-leaved" — an evocation of the elegant silhouette of the long, slightly wavy leaves that give the plant its remarkable architectural habit in the garden, often compared to a small dwarf palm or a miniature sequoia.
An upright, palm-tree-shaped plant 60-90 cm tall, forming an open rosette of long oblong leaves 30-40 cm long, narrow, dark green almost blue-tinged, with an intensely bumpy puckered surface — like embossed leather. Leaf texture particularly tender and silky when cooked — probably the most delicate kale on the palate, without the marked bitterness of the European curly kales or the tough midribs of some other cabbages. Round, sweet flavour, lightly nutty, with an earthy-mineral finish.
A pillar of traditional Tuscan cuisine: ribollita (literally "reboiled"), the great peasant soup where cavolo nero simmers at length with white cannellini beans, stale bread, onions, garlic, olive oil and tomatoes — a dish originally designed to use up yesterday's leftovers, and now one of Italy's culinary treasures; zuppa toscana (a kale, Italian-sausage and potato soup, popularized outside Italy by American restaurant chains but authentically Tuscan in origin); alongside cinghiale (Tuscan wild boar) sausages; on crostini spread with lardo and garlic (the crostini neri); quickly sautéed with garlic, olive oil and chili; as kale chips in the oven; or massaged raw with lemon for a tender salad.
Grower's tip: Exactly the same methods as for the other kales already described in our pages. Extremely cold-hardy: withstands frosts of −10 °C without trouble and often overwinters under a good snow cover in Québec. The first autumn frosts further sweeten the flavour by converting starches to sugars — a Lacinato in October-November is plant candy. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting (mid-March for summer and fall harvest), or direct-sow late May to late June for fall and winter harvest. Harvest by taking the outer leaves as needed — the plant keeps growing from the heart and produces fresh leaves all season. Sensitive to the cabbage worm like all brassicas — insect netting is useful from transplanting on.
- Open-pollinated. Italian heritage variety. Biennial: flowers in the second year. Insect-pollinated; crosses with all other Brassica oleracea (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, curly kale, etc.) — isolate for seed saving. Does NOT cross with Red Russian Kale (different species, B. napus).
- Height: 60-90 cm.
- Maturity: 60-75 days for mature leaves.
- Exposure: full sun; part shade accepted in summer.
- Rich, well-drained, neutral-to-slightly-alkaline soil. Space plants 45-50 cm apart.
- Start indoors in mid-March for summer harvest, or direct-sow late May to late June for fall and winter harvest. Withstands frosts to −10 °C and beyond; overwinters under good snow cover.
