Brassica oleracea is a species of plant that belongs in the mustard or cabbage family (Brassicaceae).
Although they may appear like different types of plants, the cruciferous vegetables broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, gai lan, and savoy are all cultivars of wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. oleracea).
Wild cabbage is native to the western and southern parts of Europe where it thrives along limestone sea cliffs due to its tolerance of salt and lime, and lack of competition for the same space.
The chalk cliffs along both sides the English Channel in areas such as Kent County (home of the city of Dover) in the UK and Normandy, France are its preferred habitat.
In its wild state, B. oleracea is a biennial plant and has developed several adaptations to help it survive in harsher environments.
A thick rosette of large leaves form in the first year that are fleshier than other members of the Brassica genus. These leaves help it store nutrients and water in less than ideal growing locations.
It uses this stored energy and nutrients to grow a flower spike 3-7 feet tall (1-2 meters) that hosts clusters of yellow flowers.
B. oleracea was domesticated thousands of years ago. The details of its cultivation prior to the Hellenistic period are unclear, and at this time it was already an established food crop with known smooth-leaved, curly-leaved, and a wild varieties available.
Since then, it has been cultivated and bred to produce many different cultivars that vary wildly in appearance, but all have the same four-petaled flowers.
Seven major groups comprise the cultivars of B. oleracea according to their developmental forms:
The Acephala (non-heading) group is most like natural wild cabbage in shape and appearance.
The following are the most common cultivated varieties:
| Cultivar | Taxonomy | |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoflower |  | Brassica oleracea var. botrytis x italica |
| Broccoli |  | Brassica oleracea var. italica |
| Broccoli di Torbole |  | Brassica oleracea var. botrytis |
| Broccolini |  | Brassica oleracea var. italica × alboglabra |
| Brussels sprouts |  | Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera |
| Cabbage |  | Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba |
| Cauliflower |  | Brassica oleracea var. botrytis |
| Collard greens |  | Brassica oleracea var. viridis |
| Cone cabbage |  | Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. acuta |
| Gai lan (Kai-lan) |  | Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra |
| Jersey cabbage |  | Brassica oleracea var. longata |
| Kale |  | Brassica oleracea var. viridis |
| Kohlrabi |  | Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes |
| Lacinato kale |  | Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia |
| Marrow-stem kale |  | Brassica oleracea var. medullosa |
| Ornamental kale |  | Brassica oleracea var. acephala |
| Perpetual kale |  | Brassica oleracea var. ramosa |
| Red cabbage |  | Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra |
| Romanesco broccoli |  | Brassica oleracea var. botrytis |
| Savoy Cabbage |  | Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. sabauda |
| Tronchuda kale |  | Brassica oleracea var. costata |
| Wild cabbage |  | Brassica oleracea var. oleracea |
So if you’re ready to get growing with some of these crunchy crucifers, there are plenty of guides down below:
© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Jersey cabbage and marrow-stem cabbage photos via Alamy Stock. All others via Shutterstock.
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