Brassica oleracea var oleracea   Wild Cabbage RR DD N

Brassica oleracea whole Brassica oleracea close Brassica oleracea stem

This woody perennial looks just like cabbage with small greyish, glaucous leaves and can be found on the grassy slopes and rocks of the Great Orme. If you take the outer road around the great limestone rock, you can see the plant growing out of cracks and on ledges above your head but it also grows on the west sandy foreshore. It is possibly a native according to Stace.

It grows around much of the coast in England but there is not much to be found in Scotland or Ireland. Altogether there is enough of this plant recorded to make its rarity status a bit doubtful but the records most probably include escaped crop plants which are var. capitata etc. while the true wild cabbage var oleracea is uncommon.

Mid: Grassy slopes above Hotel, 18th May 2004 LHS and RHS: West Shore Llandudno 24th April 2008

Added on December 10th 2004, updated 4th November 2008, updated 5th March 2010, updated Se3 27th April 2010

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