Red Russian Kale

60 days — Once a fairly rare variety only circulated among seed saving gardeners, 'Red Russian' kale has become a popular commercial variety. Synonyms attributed to this variety include, 'Russian Red', 'Canadian Broccoli', 'Ragged Jack' and 'Buda'.^[1] Its reddish colored, frilly leaves have purple veins and deliver an excellent flavor. The plants are quite frost tolerant.

As plant historians, we seek factual, documentary evidence before we publish a variety's history. 'Red Russian' kale is one of those varieties whose history, to date, remains elusive. Although some seed sellers describe interesting and colorful "stories" about is dating to pre-1885 Canadian fur traders, we have not been able to locate supporting evidence. What we do know is that it started appearing in the United States in about 1984 among seed savers and its popularity has grown from there. Each packet contains one gram, which is approximately 250 seeds.