Rainbow Lacinato Kale is a striking cold-hardy hybrid born from breeder Frank Morton's cross between the intensely cold-tolerant Redbor and the deeply crinkled Lacinato varieties. Most plants display the characteristic dark green, heavily textured leaves of Lacinato with a vivid purple stem and subtle ruffling along the edges, though there's beautiful variation across the patch. Ready to harvest in just 65 days, this frost-hardy kale reaches 18 to 36 inches tall and thrives in full sun with moderate water. The real magic emerges when winter arrives: about 40% of mature plants transform into a deep purple, almost black color, creating a genuinely stunning cold-season garden.
Full Sun
Moderate
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36in H x 18in W
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High
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This is a kale breeder's love letter to cold gardens. Frank Morton deliberately combined Redbor's extreme hardiness with Lacinato's prized leaf texture, creating a plant that handles frost beautifully and actually improves in flavor after a freeze. The natural variation across plants means every garden gets its own unique color palette, with some leaves staying deep green and others shifting to near-black purple in winter. Expect dense, wrinkled leaves on substantial purple stems, ready for harvest in just over two months.
Rainbow Lacinato Kale is grown for fresh harvest and culinary use, where its deeply textured leaves work beautifully in raw salads, braised dishes, and soups. The crinkled Lacinato-type leaf catches dressings and sauces beautifully, while the purple stems add color to plates. Like most winter-hardy kales, it's prized by gardeners who want continuous harvesting through cold months, when the plants' flavor becomes sweeter and more complex after frost exposure.
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Start seeds indoors at soil temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds will germinate reliably within this range. Transplant seedlings outdoors once they've developed 2 to 3 true leaves and have been hardened off over 7 to 10 days by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions.
Transplant hardened-off seedlings outdoors spaced 18 inches apart with 12 inches between rows. Kale tolerates transplanting well and can go out as soon as nighttime temperatures stay consistently above 45 degrees Fahrenheit, though established plants handle frost without issue.
Direct sow seeds outdoors once soil is workable in spring, or from mid-summer through early fall in most climates. Seeds will germinate at 65 to 75 degrees. Thin seedlings to 18 inches apart once they're established.
Begin harvesting Rainbow Lacinato Kale at 65 days from transplanting once plants reach usable size. Pinch or cut individual leaves from the bottom and outside of the plant, working upward, which encourages continued production from the center. You can harvest entire plants at maturity or take leaves progressively over weeks. The leaves become increasingly sweet and tender after the first frost, so cold exposure is not a flaw but a feature. Continue harvesting throughout the winter as long as the plant survives.
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“Rainbow Lacinato Kale emerged from the deliberate breeding work of Frank Morton, a seed breeder who recognized the strengths in both parent varieties and set out to combine them. Redbor brought its legendary cold hardiness, a trait developed over generations for northern gardeners. Lacinato offered its distinctive crinkled texture and refined flavor. By crossing these two, Morton created a plant that inherits both lineages, resulting in a kale that doesn't just tolerate winter but actually thrives in it, developing richer colors and deeper flavor as temperatures drop.”