Jersey cabbage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jersey cabbage |
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Jersey cabbage can be cultivated to grow quite large, especially in frost-free climates
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| Species | Brassica oleracea longata |
The Jersey cabbage (Brassica oleracea longata) is a special type of cabbage that grows very tall. It comes from the Channel Islands, which are islands between England and France. People there used to grow it a lot to feed their livestock (farm animals) and even to make walking sticks!
It's also known by other names like Jersey kale or cow cabbage. You might also hear it called giant cabbage, long jacks, or tree cabbage. In French, it's sometimes called chour or chou à vacque.
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Discovering the Jersey Cabbage
The Jersey cabbage is famous for its very long stem, which can grow to be about 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) tall. Some of these amazing plants have even reached heights of 18 to 20 feet (5.5 to 6 meters)! Imagine a cabbage taller than a basketball hoop!
More Than Just Food: Amazing Uses
Historically, the long, strong stalks of the Jersey cabbage were used for many things. One of the most interesting uses was making walking sticks. By the early 1900s, people were selling about 30,000 of these cabbage walking sticks every year, with many being sent to other countries.
The islanders had a special way of preparing the stalks. They would remove the lower leaves to make the stalk grow straight and tall without twisting. Then, they would varnish the stalk to protect it. For the handle, they might heat and bend the root end, or even plant the cabbage at an angle so the root would naturally grow into a bent shape.
Besides walking sticks, the strong stalks were also used for fencing. Sometimes, they even became small rafters (support beams) in buildings.
Feeding Animals
The lower leaves of the Jersey cabbage were very important for feeding farm animals. Farmers would give these leaves to their cows and sheep. There was even a type of Jersey cabbage grown in Portugal just for this purpose!
People believed these leaves were very valuable for animal feed. In 1836, a magazine called The Farmer's Magazine said that just five Jersey cabbage plants could feed 100 sheep or 10 cows! It was even rumored that sheep fed with these leaves produced very soft, silky wool that could grow up to 25 inches (64 cm) long.
Interestingly, the actual cabbage part at the very top of the plant is quite small. Some people even joked that nature must have meant for these plants to be mostly stalks, not cabbages!
Where is it Now?
Today, the Jersey cabbage is not grown as much in the Channel Islands as it used to be. You might still find it grown there to feed rabbits.
However, a couple named Philip and Jacquelyn Johnson still grow Jersey cabbage specifically for making walking sticks. They even appeared on the BBC One TV show Countryfile in January 2010, showing off their unique craft.
