How to Plant, Grow, and Care For ‘Coral Prince’ Cabbage

The fall garden is not exactly one of longevity. With pumpkins becoming squirrel food almost immediately upon reaching the porch and most mum cultivars fading by the start of October, horticulturists sought a long-lived, frost-tolerant plant that could be used by home gardeners and landscapers. Imagine their delight when they bred ornamental cabbage!

Ornamental cabbages and kales (also known as “flowering” cabbages and kales) are grown for their colorful foliage and unusual, if not whimsical, shape. They are members of the Brassicaceae family, meaning they are the fancier, more eye-catching cousins to broccoli, cauliflower, and, of course, edible cabbages and kales. While technically edible, ornamental cabbages are really pretty bitter and unpleasant. 

There are many fun varieties of ornamental cabbage and kale to add to your garden. Read on, and let’s dive in to one of these beauties, ‘Coral Prince’.

What Is It?

‘Coral Prince’ is a type of ornamental cabbage known for its colorful foliage and frost-tolerance. In the horticultural world, “ornamental kale” applies to types with curly or frilly foliage, while “ornamental cabbage” describes plants with broad, smooth-edged leaves. Botanically speaking, however, all ornamental cabbages and kale are considered kale, as they all produce leaves in tight rosettes.

Ornamental cabbages and kale are biennials, meaning they complete their life cycle in two years. Leafy, vegetative growth occurs in the first year, followed by flowers and seeds in the second. However, home gardeners almost always grow ornamental cabbages as annual plants.

Characteristics

‘Coral Prince’ presents compact rosettes of lacy, deeply incised leaves that almost appear feathery. Outer leaves are gray-green with white veining. Interior foliage is creamy white, with a touch of blush at the very center of the rosette. Occasionally, the white interior leaves are edged in gray-green as well, giving the whole plant a very attractive marbling quality.

At maturity, plants are roughly 15 inches wide and no more than 12 inches tall, usually shorter. ‘Coral Prince’ is a relatively broad and flat ornamental cabbage, and doesn’t produce the tall central stalk that some other varieties do, like ‘Crane Red.’

Native Area

Kale and cabbage originated in the Mediterranean region, where they have been grown for centuries. Some plants eventually made their way to China and Japan, where those with particularly ornamental leaves were selected for further breeding. They became popular in gardens sometime after the 17th century, although they did not make it to the United States until the 1930s, when the USDA sent horticulturists to Asia in search of new plants.

Planting

Ornamental cabbages, like ‘Coral Prince’, are cold-tolerant annuals that fit just about anywhere in the garden! The elegant green and ivory foliage complements all palettes, but looks especially fresh when paired with purples or dark pinks.

Plant it en masse in a mixed perennial bed with fall-blooming asters and goldenrod. Or, pop single plants in planters, pots, and hanging baskets with other fall annuals like chrysanthemums, pansies, and ornamental grasses. They make an excellent replacement for fading summer annuals. 

Transplanting

Purchasing a transplant to bring home to your garden? Choose a leafy, full plant that is nearly or fully colored. Once planted in the garden, ornamental cabbages and kales usually don’t grow much bigger, especially if they are root-bound in their nursery pot.

Slide the plant out of the nursery pot and loosen the bottom of the root ball. Dig a hole in the garden or planter that is slightly larger than the root ball. Place the plant in the hole, backfill with soil, and water deeply.

Growing from Seed

‘Coral Prince’ and most other ornamental cabbages varieties are relatively simple to start from seed. These plants require warmth for seed germination, followed by cool temperatures for plant maturation. Ornamental cabbages can be grown as a spring crop, however they’ll be maturing just as the summer temperatures arrive and may not look as lush as their fall-grown counterparts.

It can take roughly 12 weeks to go from seed to a moderately-sized cabbage or kale. Start seeds by July 1 if you would like to have plants ready for the fall.

Fill seed cells with seed starting mix. Gently press the seeds down on the surface of the seed starting mix. This plant requires light for germination, so don’t bury seeds deeply. Position the trays either under grow lights or in a greenhouse, and keep the seed starting mix moist. Seeds germinate within one week.

If seeds are sown in small cells, be sure to pot seedlings up at least once to help encourage proper root development. Seedlings can be planted up in containers or moved right out to the garden. They should be mature after 4-6 weeks.

How to Grow

Like most other cabbages, both edible and ornamental, ‘Coral Prince’ is a low-maintenance plant that just wants regular watering and plenty of sun.

Light

‘Coral Prince’ thrives in plenty of sunlight. Choose a site that gets a solid 6 hours of sun, even as the fall progresses and the days get shorter. Gardeners in hotter climates may want to provide a little afternoon shade.

Water

Water ornamental cabbages and kales regularly. Drought stress can lead to hardened, woody stems or dropped lower leaves – not ideal for a plant that’s all about foliage!

Gardeners in warm, dry regions will need to be especially diligent with watering. Drip irrigation is tremendously effective at getting water directly to the roots of this plant without dampening the foliage above. This helps prevent rot and other diseases.

Soil

Plant ‘Coral Prince’ in well-drained soil that has plenty of organic matter. Give in-ground beds a healthy dose of compost prior to planting this ornamental cabbage. For container-grown ‘Coral Prince’, use a high-quality potting soil that has perlite, and be sure your pot has a drainage hole at the bottom.

Temperature and Humidity

‘Coral Prince’ is quite tolerant of frost and cold weather. If healthy and well-established in a site, most ornamental cabbages can survive to about 5°F (-15°C). Furthermore, ornamental cabbages and kales actually require cool temperatures for their foliage to develop the rich, saturated colors they are prized for. Red, purple, pink, and white pigments won’t begin to develop until temperatures drop into the low 50s (10°C). 

Fertilizing

Keep in mind that this is a short-lived annual – provided it is tucked in high-quality potting mix or healthy garden soil, it does not need additional fertilizing. If you are starting these annuals from seed in midsummer, you may wish to add a bit of well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer immediately after the seedlings are planted. However, if you are purchasing a few plants from a nursery in September, with the expectation of keeping them just for a month or two, don’t worry about applying fertilizer.

Maintenance

Ornamental cabbages and kales are no-fuss annuals. Prune away any older outer leaves if they become scraggly. Provided plants are sited in full sun and given plenty of water, ‘Coral Prince’ does not require much else.

Propagation

The simplest way to acquire ‘Coral Prince’ is by purchasing a mostly-grown transplant from a nursery or by starting plants from seed. However, ornamental cabbages can also be propagated by stem cuttings.

Cuttings

Using a clean pair of pruners, take a cutting from a healthy, leafy plant. Remove the lower leaves from the cutting and allow it to rest for 24-48 hours so the wound can callous. This prevents the stem from rotting.

Fill a small container with moist, high-quality potting soil. Plant the cabbage cutting in the potting soil and place the container in a bright location. Keep the soil moist for a few weeks to encourage proper rooting, then just care for the plant as you would a newly purchased one.

Common Problems

Ornamental cabbages are not entirely pest-free. These plants are plagued by many of the same diseases and pests that affect other brassicas. However, because it is grown later in the season, ‘Coral Prince’ is usually less impacted than those crops maturing during the height of summer.

Pests

Aphids: Aphids are tiny green, white, or black insects that drain the sap from plants. Blast infected plants with a strong spray of water to “power wash” these nuisance bugs away, then follow up with an application of neem oil. Consider planting your ornamental cabbages among onions, chives, or dill, all great companion plants that help repel aphids.

Cabbage loopers: These small green inchworms feast on brassica leaves. Protect your ornamental cabbages with row covers, or simply remove individuals by hand. Insecticidal spray like neem oil can also be used to control cabbage loopers, but Bt is more effective.

Cabbage worms: There are a few different types of cabbage worm out there, but all of them like to dine on the foliage of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbages. Remove individuals by hand or rinse more heavily infected leaves with Bt. As with the loopers, an application of neem oil can also prevent cabbage worm eggs from successfully hatching.

Flea beetles: These tiny black beetles are not exclusive to brassicas. They chew holes in the leaves of cabbages, in addition to beans, eggplants, and tomatoes. Flea beetles are tricky to get rid of. Try using an organic insecticide, like spinosad. However, if you’d rather skip the chemicals and you have just one or two ornamental cabbages, you may want to toss them out and purchase a fresh plant for the remainder of the fall.

Slugs: Slugs (and snails) are voracious consumers of cabbages, hostas, lettuce, and other leafy plants. These pests love hiding out under leaf piles, pavers, planters, and in other cool, damp locations. Protect your ‘Coral Prince’ cabbage from slugs by setting up beer traps to lure them away or deterring them with diatomaceous earth. 

Diseases

Bacterial leaf spot: This disease is characterized by black or dark brown splotches that eventually cause the leaf to turn yellow and drop. Bacterial leaf spot flourishes in cool, wet conditions, which, unfortunately, is when ‘Coral Prince’ cabbage is usually out on full display. Prevent this bacterial disease by watering directly at the soil line and keeping the upper foliage as dry as possible.

Black rot: Black rot is caused by bacteria, and it is easily identified by the yellow V-shaped lesions that appear by the tips of the leaves. The lesions can expand, wilting the entire leaf and eventually reaching the stem. Remove and toss infected plants immediately. There are no effective chemical controls for black rot, so the best thing to do is prevent your ‘Coral Prince’ cabbage from contracting it in the first place. Purchase disease-free plants from a reputable nursery, don’t plant ornamental cabbage in a bed where black rot has occurred in the past 2-3 years, and space plants adequately to encourage good airflow.

Frequently Asked Questions