Dazzling Blue Lacinato Kale

Brassica oleracea

Contains ~ 100 seeds per packet

Germination: 94% Packed for 2026

Days to Maturity: 30 days baby, 65 days full

Origins, Migration, and History of Domestication

Dazzling Blue Lacinato Kale (Brassica oleracea) is an open-pollinated kale variety that combines the long culinary tradition of Lacinato-type kale with more recent plant breeding. Kale belongs to Brassica oleracea, the remarkably diverse species that also includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and collard greens. Its wild ancestors are associated with coastal regions of Europe and the Mediterranean, where people selected leafy forms of B. oleracea over many centuries. Unlike cabbage, which was selected for tightly headed leaves, kale retained the more ancient, open-leaf growth habit. Leafy brassicas spread throughout Europe and later traveled with migrants, farmers, and seed traders to the Americas and other regions of the world. Our Dazzling Blue Lacinato Kale seeds were acquired from our friends at Adaptive Seeds.

Lacinato kale is especially associated with Tuscany, Italy, where dark, elongated, heavily textured kale has long been grown and is known by names such as cavolo nero (“black cabbage”), Tuscan kale, and dinosaur kale. Dazzling Blue is a comparatively modern heirloom-style, open-pollinated selection rather than an ancient Italian landrace. It was developed from Lacinato-type material through the work of plant breeder Hank Keogh and later selected and stabilized through collaboration with the Organic Seed Alliance. The variety preserves the distinctive narrow, savoyed leaves of traditional Lacinato kale while emphasizing blue-green coloration, colorful stems, cold tolerance, and vigorous garden performance. Because it is open-pollinated, growers can save seed from carefully isolated plants and continue adapting the variety to local growing conditions.

Appearance and Characteristics

Dazzling Blue is an exceptionally ornamental edible kale. Plants develop an upright habit with long, relatively narrow leaves whose deeply puckered or savoyed surfaces resemble classic Lacinato kale. The foliage ranges from blue-green and blue-gray to dark green, often with a noticeable waxy bloom that intensifies the blue appearance. One of the variety's most distinctive features is its contrasting midribs and stems, which can display shades of purple, pink, lavender, or reddish violet. The combination of blue foliage and colorful veins gives the plant its “Dazzling Blue” name.

Plants generally reach about 24–36 inches tall under favorable conditions and continually produce leaves from a central growing point. Dazzling Blue is particularly valuable as a cool-season crop because established plants tolerate frost and cold temperatures well. Like many kales, exposure to cool weather can improve eating quality as changes in the plant's carbohydrate metabolism contribute to a sweeter, less bitter flavor. Its attractive foliage also allows it to serve double duty in edible landscapes and ornamental vegetable gardens.

Culinary Uses

Dazzling Blue can be prepared much like traditional Tuscan or Lacinato kale. Young leaves are tender enough for salads, sandwiches, wraps, and fresh vegetable mixtures, particularly when finely sliced or massaged with oil and an acidic dressing. Mature leaves have a substantial texture that holds up exceptionally well in soups, stews, braises, and sautés. The thick central rib can be removed from older leaves before cooking, although tender stems can be chopped and cooked along with the greens.

Its Tuscan heritage makes it especially appropriate for rustic Italian preparations such as ribollita, bean-and-kale soups, pasta dishes, and greens sautéed with garlic and olive oil. It can also substitute for collards or other cooking greens in African American and Southern food traditions and works well in Caribbean-style mixed greens, stir-fries, curries, grain bowls, smoothies, pestos, and baked kale chips. The leaves pair particularly well with beans, lentils, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, grains, and winter squash.

Growing Tips

Dazzling Blue performs best as a cool-season crop and can be planted for spring or fall harvests. For an early crop, start seed indoors about 4–6 weeks before the last expected spring frost, then transplant sturdy seedlings outdoors. For fall and winter production, direct sow or start transplants in mid- to late summer, timing the crop so that plants become established before sustained freezing weather arrives. Fall-grown plants frequently produce some of their finest-quality leaves after exposure to light frost.

Choose a location receiving full sun, although kale can tolerate partial shade, particularly during warmer weather. Fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter supports vigorous leaf production. A soil pH of approximately 6.0–7.5 is suitable. Maintain even soil moisture and mulch around established plants to conserve water, moderate soil temperature, and suppress weeds. Space plants approximately 12–18 inches apart, allowing wider spacing for large mature plants. Common brassica pests include cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, flea beetles, aphids, and harlequin bugs. Row covers used early in the crop's development can provide valuable protection, while crop rotation and removal of diseased plant debris help reduce disease problems.

Sow Depth and Germination

Sow Dazzling Blue kale seed approximately ¼ to ½ inch deep. Seeds generally germinate in about 5–10 days when moisture and temperatures are favorable. Although kale germinates across a relatively broad temperature range, cool to moderately warm soil encourages strong establishment. When direct sowing, plant several seeds at the desired spacing and thin after seedlings develop true leaves. The removed young plants can be eaten as baby greens.

Days to Maturity

Dazzling Blue can be harvested at several stages rather than requiring a single maturity date. Baby leaves may be harvested in approximately 25–35 days, depending on growing conditions. Plants generally reach useful mature-leaf production at approximately 55–65 days from transplanting, with direct-seeded crops potentially requiring additional time. Because kale continually produces foliage, a healthy planting can provide repeated harvests for weeks or even months rather than a single harvest.

Harvesting Guidance

Begin harvesting once plants have produced several well-developed leaves. Pick the largest outer and lower leaves first, leaving the smaller central leaves and growing point intact. This “cut-and-come-again” method allows the plant to continue producing new foliage. Harvest individual leaves by snapping or cutting them cleanly near the stem, taking care not to damage the crown.

For the most tender leaves, harvest when foliage is relatively young. Larger leaves are excellent for cooked dishes and soups. During cool autumn weather, allow established plants to experience one or more light frosts before harvesting some of the mature foliage; the flavor often becomes noticeably sweeter. Regular harvesting encourages continued leaf production. In mild climates or with winter protection, Dazzling Blue can remain productive well into winter and sometimes into the following spring.

Gardeners interested in seed saving should remember that kale is a biennial. Plants generally produce their flowering stalks and seed during their second growing season after experiencing winter cold. Because Brassica oleracea varieties—including kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and some collards—can cross-pollinate with one another, seed plants must be adequately isolated from compatible flowering brassicas if maintaining Dazzling Blue's varietal characteristics is the goal. Allow the flowering plants to form elongated seedpods, let the pods mature and begin drying, and harvest them before they become brittle enough to shatter and scatter their seeds.