Colewort (Sea Kale)
Crambe species. BRASSICACEAE (CRUCIFERAE).
Planting and Growing Colewort
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow colewort in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of colewort
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for colewort
- Season of bloom and planting time for colewort
- When, how deep, and where to plant colewort
- How to plant colewort
- Watering, fertilizing, care, and pests or diseases of colewort
- Landscape and container uses of colewort
- Comments about colewort and its features
Growing Colewort
About 20 species of mounding, sometimes narrow, annual or deciduous perennial herbs, 3–7 ft. (90–215 cm) tall. Smooth, blue green, fleshy, divided, deeply cut and lobed, wavy-edged leaves, to 3 ft. (90 cm) long. Dormant after bloom.
Commonly cultivated species include colewort, Crambe cordifolia; Abyssinian mustard, Crambe hispanica; and sea kale, Crambe maritima.
Planting and Care Guide
Blooms
Many fragrant, cream, green, white, round, 4-petaled flowers, 1/4–1/2-in. (6–12-mm) wide, in profuse, branching clusters, in summer.
Best Climates
Hardy. Zones 4–9.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Rich. 6.5–7.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring in full to filtered sun, 18–24 in. (45–60 cm) apart.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist. Fertilize monthly. Shear after blooms fade. Propagate by seed.
About This Plant
Good choice for accents, early color in cottage, natural gardens. Disease resistant. Cabbage looper susceptible.