Ornamental kale is edible. It belongs to the exact same species, Brassica oleracea, as the curly kale and Lacinato kale you find in the grocery store, as well as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. The leaves are safe to eat and nutritious, though they taste noticeably more bitter and tougher than culinary varieties. The real concern isn’t the plant itself but how it was grown.
Same Species, Different Purpose
Ornamental kale was selectively bred for color and form rather than flavor. Its vivid purples, pinks, and creamy whites come from the same pigments found in regular kale, just concentrated for visual impact. Botanically, all ornamental kale varieties are true kales: they produce leaves in a tight rosette rather than forming a head like cabbage. Popular series include Chidori (purple with curly margins), Nagoya (heavily crinkled leaves in pink, lavender, and creamy white), Osaka (compact, fast-growing), and Peacock (deeply serrated, feathery leaves). Every one of these is technically edible.
Why It Tastes Worse Than Regular Kale
Because breeders focused on appearance rather than palatability, ornamental kale leaves tend to be tougher and significantly more bitter than culinary varieties. Cooking helps, but it introduces its own problem: the striking colors that make ornamental kale attractive turn an unappetizing gray when heated. That’s why restaurants have historically used the raw leaves as plate garnish rather than as an actual ingredient.
If you do want to eat it, a few techniques reduce the bitterness. Picking leaves after a frost naturally converts some starches to sugars, making any kale sweeter. Blanching the leaves briefly, about one minute in boiling water followed by an ice bath, pulls out bitter compounds without overcooking. Tossing raw leaves with a light vinaigrette or massaging them with olive oil and salt also mellows the flavor. Avoid cooking too long: cruciferous vegetables produce sulfur compounds when overcooked, which makes bitterness worse and adds an unpleasant smell.
The Real Risk: Pesticides
The biggest safety issue with eating ornamental kale has nothing to do with the plant’s biology. Ornamental plants sold at nurseries and garden centers are frequently treated with pesticides that are not approved for use on food crops. These include systemic insecticides like neonicotinoids, which are absorbed into the plant’s tissue and cannot be washed off. One study of commercially sold ornamental plants found highly toxic insecticides in 39% of plants labeled as “pollinator-friendly,” including chemicals like imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.
Ornamental growers also commonly use organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids. Because these plants aren’t marketed as food, there are no regulatory limits on pesticide residues, and growers have no reason to avoid chemicals that would be restricted on edible crops. If you bought your ornamental kale from a nursery or home improvement store, assume it has been treated with something you shouldn’t eat.
The safe path is simple: if you want to eat ornamental kale, grow it yourself from seed using organic methods, or buy it from a grower who can confirm no non-food-safe chemicals were used. Store-bought ornamental kale should stay decorative.
Nutritional Value
Kale in general, including ornamental varieties, is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, along with calcium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. Among the Brassica family, kale has the highest mineral content. The colorful pigments in ornamental kale come from polyphenols, carotenoids, and flavonoids, the same plant compounds that give regular kale its reputation as a nutrient-dense food. So while the flavor may be disappointing compared to culinary kale, the nutritional profile is comparable.
One Part to Avoid
The roots of any kale plant, ornamental or culinary, are toxic and should never be eaten. This applies across the board. Stick to the leaves, strip them from the tough central stem, and you’re working with the only parts worth putting on a plate.