Ornamental Kale is a perennial grown for its blooms, which open from spring through fall and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 2 through 10. Its flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
Zones
2-10
pH Range
5.5-8.5
Sun
Part Sun
Days to Maturity
75
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See Ornamental Kale
What Ornamental Kale is
Ornamental Kale grows as a perennial and reaches around a foot and a half at maturity. It blooms from spring through fall.
How to grow Ornamental Kale
Ornamental Kale grows in USDA zones 2 through 10. Ornamental Kale does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 8.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 500 growing degree days to mature and a growing season of at least 60 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
2-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.5 - 8.5
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Tolerance
41°F
The lowest temperature it shrugs off — below this, expect damage without cover.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Days to Maturity
75 days
Growable Ground plant catalog
GDD Required
500+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
1.5 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
60+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant ornamental kale in part sun with at least 4 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Ornamental Kale prefers pH 5.5 to 8.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut ornamental kale blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — ornamental kale isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Ornamental Kale offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Ornamental Kale thrives
On hardiness alone, ornamental kale grows across most of the country — its range (USDA zones 2 through 10) is unusually wide. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 2–10·Where Ornamental Kale growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Ornamental Kale can grow in these states:
See if Ornamental Kale will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether ornamental kale actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Ornamental Kale in my zone?
Ornamental Kale grows in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Ornamental Kale?
Ornamental Kale is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Ornamental Kale need?
Ornamental Kale does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Ornamental Kale need?
Ornamental Kale prefers soil pH 5.5 to 8.5, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Ornamental Kale attract pollinators?
Yes — ornamental kale's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Ornamental Kale safe for pets?
Ornamental Kale is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)