Scarlet Bor Kale (Brassica oleracea 'Scarlet Bor')
BRASS-ih-kah oh-ler-AY-see-ah 'Scarlet Bor'

Annual (usually grown as an annual near you) Rosette in the Brassicaceae Family
 
Buy Scarlet Bor Kale
Size Notes Price Availability
10" Pot Greenhouse $18.75 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

A compact curly kale valued for its rosy-red to deep purple foliage, which intensifies with cooler fall temperatures.

'Scarlet Bor' is a compact, upright curly kale with crinkled, rose-to-deep-purple foliage that intensifies in color as temperatures cool. It's part of the Redbor/Winterbor lineage of bold-textured curly kales, sold primarily through the bedding-plant trade for fall displays.

While most retailers market it for its landscape and container appeal, its leaves are also edible and can be used in stir-fries, soups, or kale chips like other curly kale cultivars.

Pros

  • Vivid rose-purple color that deepens through fall
  • Compact, tidy habit well-suited to containers and borders
  • Edible as well as ornamental

Cons

  • Susceptible to common cabbage pests like worms, loopers, and flea beetles
  • Color intensity depends on cool weather -- less vivid in warm conditions
  • Grown as an annual; won't survive winter in most Chicago-area gardens
Highlights A compact curly kale with vivid rose-to-purple foliage that deepens through fall, equally suited to containers, borders, and the kitchen.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 16 - 18 inches tall. 16 - 18 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 2a - 11b (Usually hardy to -50° F)
Tags Annual, Annual in Chicago, Colorful Foliage, Container, Deciduous, Edible Foliage, Edibles, Fall Annuals, Fall Color, Full Sun, Grown as Annuals, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Medium, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Popular For Fall, Vegetables
Bloom Period Rarely flowers (grown as annual foliage)
Foliage Color
 

Most Popular Plants

Commonly Planted with...

Ornamental grasses, mums, and other cool-season annuals and perennials, or other edible kales and cabbages in a vegetable garden.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 08/10 - 10/04
2024 : 08/15 - 10/05
2023 : 08/02 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!