Kale ID Help

[Mr Bones]

I'm trying to identify our perennial kale.

We've been growing it since 2012, propagating from cuttings, and find it crops best in the first two years. After two seasons the plants are inclined to produce masses of smaller leaves instead of the larger leaves that can be just over a foot long. The main stems soon become woody and can be over two inches thick. When lower side branches are stripped the plants grow well over five feet tall (like tree kale) but if left alone reach four feet with a rambling habit.
When grown from seed, plants didn't flower until their second year but otherwise flower annually.
Foliage wilted by heavy frost soon recovers and leaves grow throughout a milder winter.

We were told it was Daubentons but think that has yellow flowers.

[veggiechicken]

My Daubenton's grown from HSL seed has white flowers.
Its not as tall as yours though

[Mr Bones]

Thanks VC, at least the white flowers are right. With it flowering every year I wondered if it was maybe a Daubenton's cross.

[veggiechicken]

Mine's flowered for 2 years too. Had me puzzled as its not supposed to flower so I was unsure it was Daubenton too. Good to see your's has white flowers.

[happyhumph]

The Daubenton seeds you gave me have sprouted so I'll see what the habit is in my garden.

[Zelenina]

Some of my Portuguese kale (Galega Lisa) plants had white flowers. And although they weren't described as perennial, several of them survived two winters in my garden plus most of a third one, but were killed off by an unusually cold spell, while others didn't even survive their first much milder winter.

They were also quite variable in appearance. Some had thick white leaf veins like Portuguese cabbage, but others didn't, and looked more like a typical flat-leaved kale. So obviously a very variable batch genetically. Maybe more of a traditional landrace than a variety.

The white flowers are unusual in kale, but when I grew 20 different varieties I had quite a few of the cabbagey kales (Brassica oleracea) that lasted more than one year e.g. Thousand Headed, Pentland Brig, Vates Blue Curled, Westland Winter. But the Russian and Siberian type kales (Brassica napus) all did just one winter and then flowered and that was it. They packed up and died.