How to Plant, Grow, and Care for ‘Osaka Pink’ Cabbage

It’s difficult to find cool-weather flowers that can shine during the frigid months. ‘Osaka Pink’ ornamental cabbage offers the gorgeous aesthetic of a ruffly bloom, but with the extraordinary frost tolerance of kale-family plants. Intriguingly, the specimen isn’t just a flower—it is a compact floret of leaves with rounded purple foliage on the outside, deep green margins, and bright pink leaves on the inside, yielding a frilly, psychedelic display.

This attractive plant adds a touch of color and vibrancy to fall containers and ornamental beds. Its color intensifies with cold weather and lasts throughout the winter. In intense cold weather, the leaves may die back, but they reliably return in the spring for more pretty flower-shaped growth. Let’s dig into how you can grow ‘Osaka Pink’ in your autumn garden!

‘Osaka Pink’ Cabbage Overview

Plant Type Annual Ornamental Plant Family Brassicacae Plant Genus Brassica Plant Species oleracea (Acephala Group) Hardiness Zone 2-11 Planting Season Early fall	Plant Maintenance Low Plant Height 6” Fertility Needs Moderate Temperature 0-60°F or -18-16°C Pairs With Sedum, alyssum, maples Soil Type Loamy, well-drained	Plant Spacing 12” Watering Needs Moderate Sun Exposure Full sun to partial shade Days to Maturity 75-90 days Pests Flea beetles, aphids, cabbage worms Diseases Club root

History and Cultivation 

With origins in Mediterranean Europe, cabbage has been cultivated for thousands of years as both a food and ornamental crop. The humble brassica plants come in a tremendous variety of shapes, colors, and sizes, ranging from the rounded edible heads we recognize in grocery stores to the unique, frilly florets of ornamental leaves.

The cool-weather plants are exceptionally resilient to frost, making them popular for fall and winter containers or beds where gardeners desire attractive flowers that can withstand harsh weather. 

What is It?

‘Osaka’ Pink ornamental cabbage is a compact ornamental brassica with creamy pink centers, rounded purple outer foliage, and bright to dark green margins. The low-growing rosettes include tightly overlapping foliage with ruffled edges that turn brighter pink as the weather gets frostier. 

This rose-like cabbage offers changing color hues throughout the season, while withstanding harsh winter temperatures with very little maintenance. The ornamental heads are best for mass planting, low border landscaping, and fall container planting.

Can You Eat It?

Although you can technically eat ornamental kales and cabbages, ‘Osaka Pink’ won’t taste very good. This variety is bred for its color and aesthetic rather than flavor or tenderness. If you want to eat crisp cool-weather brassicas that still look pretty, try ‘Copenhagen Market’ or ‘Red Acre.’ 

Propagation

‘Osaka Pink’ is primarily available as a nursery seedling. Seeds are not readily available. It’s easiest to buy this ornamental in 6-packs or cell trays from a local nursery. If you wish to do a mass planting, be sure to buy enough plants to fill your area. The specimens grow to 6” tall and 12” wide at maturity, and are best planted 10-12” apart for full coverage.

Planting

Putting these brassicas in the ground is as straightforward as any other vegetable. First, make sure your plants are hardened off. If the seedlings were outside at the nursery, they are likely already acclimated to nighttime temperatures. But if they were inside a greenhouse, it’s best to help them gradually adapt to outside extremes by keeping them on a sheltered porch for a few days before transplanting.

Prepare beds or containers with a small amendment of compost or potting mix so the soil is loose and workable. Use a hori hori knife, trowel, or small shovel to dig a hole about 1.5 times the size of the root ball.

Gently massage the roots and grasp each cabbage from the base as you pull it out of the cell tray. Place the seedling in the hole and backfill with soil, ensuring that the dirt stays at the same level as it was in the container. Avoid burying the leaves or planting too deep, as this can cause the foliage to rot or get dirty and unattractive.

Tuck the remaining soil under the outer leaves and water nicely until the soil is moist and the plants sit solidly in place.

The ideal spacing is 10-12” apart. Ornamental cabbages and kale look best when planted densely so they grow to cover any bare soil between them. However, avoid planting too closely, or the plants may fail to proliferate.

How to Grow

If you’ve ever grown kale, then you can easily grow ‘Osaka Pink’ cabbage. Loamy soil, partial to full sun, and moderate moisture are key.

Light

This ornamental brassica tolerates partial sun to full sun. It can thrive in east-,west-, or south-facing gardens as long as there are not large trees or structures fully shading the plants. A minimum of 4-6 hours of sunlight per day is recommended for optimal leaf development and aesthetics.

Water

‘Osaka Pink’ needs regular moisture and should not dry out. However, since this ornamental plant grows in the fall and winter, it may not need supplemental irrigation in areas with rainfall. If you don’t get enough rain in the cool months, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to keep the roots moist but not soggy. You can also use a hose aimed directly at the base. 

Soil

Loamy, well-drained soil is ideal for all cabbage, including ‘Osaka Pink.’ Amend clay soil generously with compost, peat moss, perlite, and leaf litter. Sandy soils may need heavier additions of compost to help retain moisture. Aeration with a digging fork is helpful for keeping the roots free of rot.

Climate and Temperature

This variety thrives in cool temperatures from 0°F to 60°F (-18 to 16°C). In below-freezing conditions, the leaves get brighter and more vibrant. In subzero temperatures, the foliage may die back to the ground or get buried under snow, but rest assured that it will regrow in the spring. 

Fertilizing

All-purpose fertilizer is helpful but not essential. If you have poor soil, amend with a balanced slow-release blend like Down to Earth All-Purpose Vegetable Fertilizer at the time of planting. For another boost in early winter, fertilize 4-6 weeks later. Avoid using high-dose synthetic fertilizers that may cause nitrogen burn.

Maintenance

Unsightly leaf removal is the only maintenance needed for this species. If lower foliage turns yellow or dies back, prune it off to keep your beds looking tidy.

Varieties

Similar varieties to ‘Osaka Pink’ ornamental cabbage include:

• ‘Crane Red’: These bright fuschia to hot pink rosettes offer a burst of color in the cool months. 
• ‘Color Up Purple’: Richly purple-splashed centers stand out amongst purple-veined dark green leaves that grow in a big floral shape.
• ‘Osaka White’: This close cousin has wavy leaves and tightly packed foliage with bright white outsides and pastel pink interiors.

Companion Plants

The best companions for this variety are other ornamental brassicas with complementing hues like white, light green, and bright purple. Use ‘Osaka Pink’ in a mass planting or an alternating low-growing border in front of other fall-shining shrubs like Japanese maples, autumn-blooming roses, alyssum, and Autumn Joy sedum.

Pests and Diseases

Like all brassicas, these plants are susceptible to a few pests and diseases. Fortunately, since you aren’t going to eat them, a few bugs aren’t usually an issue.

• Aphids: Keep these sap-suckers away with a heavy blast of water or diluted neem oil spray.
• Flea Beetles: Prevent shot-hole shaped damage by covering young transplants with row fabric to physically exclude this pest. Use neem or insecticidal soap in heavy infestations.
• Club Root and Root Rot: Prevent fungal pathogens from attacking the roots by ensuring well-drained soil. Avoid overwatering and use mulch to prevent oversaturation from rain. Rotate crops.

Plant Uses

‘Osaka Pink’ cabbage is ideal for borders, containers, fillers, and mass plantings. This fall and winter ornamental offers a cool-season burst of floral-shaped color that can withstand frost and snow. Plants stay under 6” tall and can overwinter in areas as cold as zone 2, returning with new foliage in the spring.