Project Category: The Collards

Plants 18-20 inches tall and 25-45 inches in diameter. Erect leaves are highly blistered, drooping, with a light green petiole. Plants form a well-developed head. Leaves are ovate to spatulate in shape and have a wavy margin. Two distinct types seen in this planting. Two plants have yellow-green leaves, 2 plants have lighter green leaves, and 8 plants darker green leaves. Of the 8 plants with darker green leaves 3 are very blistered and ruffled and more compact. 1 plant with darker green leaves is more spreading and very large. Average eating qualities. Had some minor damage when low temperatures reached 20 F for several days.

Uniform variety, but one plant has light purple on the stem and slight purple color on underside of leaf petioles. Leaves are yellow-green, elliptic to ovate in shape with a lobed outline and wavy margin. Leaves have low to moderate blistering. Plants are semi-prostrate and have slight heading capability. Small plants measure 8-15 inches tall and 18.5-32 inches wide. Average eating qualities.

Mild flavor. Some variability in leaf color ranges from green to dark green. Leaf texture varies from non-blistered to puckered. Leaf angle semi-prostrate to open. Plants want to form a head with inner leaves. Plants measure 1.7-2.3′ tall and 2.0-2.7′ in diameter. Largest leaves measure 1.3-2.0′ long and 8-12″ in diameter.

Variety has 2 distinct types. 9 of 12 plants are greasy, while the other 3 are non-greasy. One greasy plant has leaves forming a rosette; others are long-petioled. Among non-greasy plants, one is a dark and dull blue-green color, while the second plant is medium green with a kale-like central stem and incised leaves, and the third has highly undulate leaves, a more erect growth habit and is significantly larger than the others. Varieties are semi-prostrate and have no heading capabilities. Tough variety that has some slight sweetness to it.

Continuous variation in planting. One plant is a lighter shade of green and more droopy leaves. Two plants are more heavily blistered and the leaves are more dentate (or crinkly as the name says). The others have some variability in leaf shape from flat and round to longer and elliptic. Plants measure 15-21 inches tall and 24-40 inches wide. Slightly tough and bitter, but has some underlying sweetness and a nice spicy flavor. Slight heading capabilities.