The Pabularia Group, known commonly as Siberian kale or Hanover salad, resulted from crossing field mustard with wild cabbage, and it shows more tenderness than other kale types in every sense. The leaves are softer, the flavor is milder, and the plant sits more quietly in the garden — growing one to three feet tall and wide without the architectural drama of curly or lacinato types. The glaucous blue-green leaves are genuinely attractive and remain usable through frost and light freezes, making this one of the more reliable edible-garden plants for the shoulder seasons.

Sow directly into the garden or transplant seedlings in spring or fall; in the South, Siberian kale can carry a garden through winter without complaint. Good nitrogen and a soil test before planting will bring out the best of the leaves. Come spring, the plant will bolt and send up a flower stalk bearing small yellow flowers that early bees visit with obvious enthusiasm. At that point the eating is done, but the plant still earns its space by bridging the gap between winter and the bees' first reliable forage. Its relative resistance to insects and disease compared to other kale varieties is a genuine practical virtue.