Brassica oleracea Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Brassica oleracea

Wild Cabbage plants
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Brassicales
Family:	Brassicaceae
Genus:	Brassica
Species:	B. oleracea
Binomial name
*Brassica oleracea* L.

Brassica oleracea, or wild cabbage, is a species of Brassica native to coastal southern and western Europe.

Its tolerance of salt and lime, and its dislike of competition from other plants, restrict it to limestone sea cliffs, like the chalk cliffs on both sides of the English Channel.

Cultivation

B. oleracea is believed to have been cultivated for several thousand years. It has been bred into a wide range of cultivars, including cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and more. Some of which are hardly recognisable as being members of the same genus, let alone species.

Growing head of B. oleracea at Hooghly in West Bengal, India.

The plant is used because of its large food reserves, which are stored over the winter in its leaves. It is rich in essential nutrients including vitamin C.

The cultivars of B. oleracea are grouped into seven major cultivar groups, of which the Acephala Group remains most like the natural wild cabbage in appearance:

Acephala Group: kale and collard greens
Alboglabra Group: Chinese broccoli
Botrytis Group: cauliflower, Romanesco broccoli and broccoflower
Capitata Group: cabbage
Gemmifera Group: brussels sprouts
Gongylodes Group: kohlrabi
Italica Group: broccoli

All are in the same species. However, artificial selection has brought about genetic differences between the groups.

In places such as the Channel Islands and Canary Islands where the frost is minimal, and plants can grow all year round, some cultivars can grow up to 3 meters tall. These "tree cabbages" yield fresh leaves throughout the year, and the plant is not destroyed as with a normal cabbage. Their woody stalks are sometimes dried and made into walking sticks.