Some of you who have followed my prior blog entries know that one of my favorite nurseries to purchase rare and hard-to-find permaculture plants, is the nursery at Occidental Arts & Ecology Center located in Occidental, California (OAEC). Combining my love of history with my love of gardening, this year, I purchased from the OAEC nursery, among other plants, an edible leafy vegetable known as “Wild Cabbage,” which, according to OAEC's description, “is the ancestor of all cultivars of Brassica oleracea”, which includes leafy vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and collards, all of which are more familiar to us. I learned from OAEC that although Wild Cabbage is technically a biennial, it is possible to perennialize this cabbage by continuing to cut off its flower spikes.
Because the thick, fleshy leaves of Wild Cabbage enable the plant to store water and nutrients, this plant is supposedly less fussy and can grow in harsher, than less ideal growing conditions, including in drought, which was especially appealing to me, given California's current water crisis.

Also, according to OAEC, Wild Cabbage should be more resistant to pests and disease because it a wild ancestor to many of our modern day leafy greens. However, I have not found this claim to be true in Solano County, as common pests which have attacked my broccoli, kale, etc., have also ravaged my Wild Cabbage with equal gusto (although I do expect my Wild Cabbage plant to survive intact). My photo says it all.

I have yet to cook with Wild Cabbage but am told that it can be a substitute for kale in most recipes.