Health Benefits

Besides its good looks, flavor, and benefits to garden ecology, kale is good food. To get more protein from a green, you'd have to eat nettles; to get more calcium, you'd have to eat lamb's quarters; to get more iron, you'd have to eat amaranth or purslane; to get as much vitamin A, you'd have to eat dandelions. You can't get more vitamin C from any other leafy green. And don't forget the benefits of fiber, and the kale family's proven reputation for anti-cancer properties.

So remember: Kale has roots deep in the horticultural soul. Kale is widely adaptable. Kale is easy to grow and provides harvest opportunities at almost all stages of its growth. Kale creates a supportive environment for several beneficial insects. Kale can be enjoyed raw or cooked. Kale might even change your life.

Photography by Suzanne DeJohn/National Gardening Association