Ultracross Collards

Brassica oleracea var. viridis Origin: North Carolina Improvement status: Breeding population Seeds per packet: ~90 Germination tested 11/2024: 87% Life cycle: Biennial Collards, or collard greens, are essentially open-headed cabbages (Brassica oleracea), with broad, smooth, almost waxy (and sometimes glossy) leaves that vary from green to blue-green to green-purple. While they have long been and remain closely associated with Black culture in the US — a staple green in traditional Southern Black foodways, and consequently popular in Black communities across the country — the plant actually has its origins in Europe and the Mediterranean. It is generally considered the most cold-hardy of the cabbages (which also include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and kohlrabi).In 2020, The Utopian Seed Project (or TUSP, founded and run by our friend Chris Smith) grew 21 collard varieties as part of a nationwide collard trial for The Heirloom Collard Project. Eight other sites each