1 cutting per customer maximum this first year. Once I planted some tree collard seeds seeds that a friend brought back from Montenegro, where they are called Rashtan. I grew out a lot of the plants and selected one that clearly stood out from the rest. It is a tall, thick, vigorous selection with dark purple leaves in cold weather. While many of them went to seed, it was 3 or 4 years before this one bolted. It has flowered, but it has proved to be pretty resistant to bolting. I named it Peasant King because of the regal stature and royal purple leaves. It is also truly peasant food. Tree collards put the rough in roughage. If Peasant King has a fault it is height and vigor. It can easily grow out of reach. You’ll be growing thick walking sticks whether you mean to or not, unless you keep it cut back, which causes it to sprout more smaller heads.

Tree collards are perennial members of the cabbage group (broccolli, cabbage, kales, cauliflower, brussles sprouts) that produce large thick leaves. They only flower every few years. They taste best in cold weather, but they produce greens year round and plants can last for many years. Propagation is by cuttings. Cold hardiness is not very good. Chris Homanics had them freeze out near Seattle. They are not going to do well outdoors anywhere but parts of the lower pacific NW, southwest and southeast. Otherwise, they are hardly worth growing in a greenhouse. I would take up space with something a lot more interesting. Unless maybe you have a huge greenhouse. Just my two cents :)

These are unrooted cuttings. I tried to figure out an efficient and cheap way to offer rooted cuttings, but it hasn’t worked out yet. They root pretty well if in well aerated soil and not over or under watered, but they are not completely reliable.

Blog Post:https://skillcult.com/blog/2018/3/24/peasant-king-my-tree-collard-selection-project

Video:https://youtu.be/yqYvasFOG1Q?si=qrhWhZUgqa9XIdE_