The cabbages we grow today are descendants of wild cabbage from the Atlantic coasts of Europe, selected and hybridized across many centuries until the dense, folded head became the defining feature. Shapes range from flattened to round to pointed, and leaf surfaces from smooth to deeply savoy-crinkled. Colors run from pale lime-green to a near-purple red that holds through cooking. Flavor improves after a frost, the cold converting enough starch to sugar to soften the raw sharpness that warm-grown cabbages carry. North Carolina ranks fifth in commercial cabbage production in the United States, which gives a sense of how well this crop suits the region's shoulder-season climate.

Start seeds indoors and transplant in late summer for fall and winter harvest; a second planting in early spring extends the season at the other end. Cabbages want full sun, amended and well-drained moist soil, and enough nitrogen to build those dense heads. The range of varieties available now is wide enough to reward serious exploration — small round heads for tight spaces, giant savoy types for braising, early-season varieties for the spring garden. Mixed among perennials, a deep red cabbage adds a genuine richness to the winter border, its compact form sitting well between dormant crowns.