‘Rainbow Candy Crush’ kale catches eye of fussier eaters
GETTING children to eat their greens has always been a struggle – but making them pastel purple instead could be a step in the right direction.
Gardeners can now buy the world’s first purple edible kale, designed to tempt the Instagram generation into growing their own.
The kale variety, “Rainbow Candy Crush”, originally developed in the US, was exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show this week where it was shortlisted for the Plant of the Year award.
The genetics of the plant have been in development for over a decade, created by a Pennsylvaniabased programme known as the “crossover project”, designed to create edible flowers and vegetables that also look attractive. It is a cross between kale and another variety of the brassica vegetable family.
Existing ornamental purple kale can be eaten but tends to be tough and fibrous, while this variety has been designed to taste better so it can be eaten raw in salads and smoothies. Gardening company Sutton’s selling the plant to UK growers, says its high anthocyanin content, the pigment that makes plants blue, red or purple, could also lead to a higher antioxidant content. The plant is designed to capitalise on the boom in gardening among young people, as environmentally-conscious and millennials are increasingly likely to be planting and growing their own flowers and vegetables.
It comes as the Royal Horticultural Horticult Society attempts to attract a younger audience, giving houseplants and balcony gardens more prominence at the Chelsea show, which ends today.