Beyond Lettuce! Unique Leafy Greens To Know and Grow
Looking for non-lettuce leafy green varieties to grow? Here are multiple selections you may want to add to your crop list.
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Benefine (Enza Zaden, Garden Trends Inc DBA Harris Seeds)
This heat-tolerant frisee endive is suitable for growing in spring, summer, and fall plantings. Its compact, upright, tightly filled heads are strong against bolting and tipburn and have attractive, shiny dark green exterior and well-blanched interior leaves. The high yields of nicely frilled leaves and proven adaptability, make ‘Benefine’ an excellent choice for any region. Matures in 48 days.
Region: well-adapted
https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/12950-endive-benefine-organic?variant=52367776350571
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Betelgeuse (BASF | Nunhems)
‘Betelgeuse’ is a leafy spinach that has great uniformity, quarter savoy with medium growth speed. A nice fresh market hybrid.
Disease package: Pe: (1-20)
- 3 of 20
Black Jack (Tozer Seeds America, Stokes Seeds, Inc.)
‘Black Jack’ is a Tuscan hybrid kale with an erect habit and slender leaves. Its high production will give multiple harvests of uniform leaves. Matures in 60 days.
Region: North America
Disease package: T: Bolt, Cold
https://us.stokeseeds.com/hybridkale-blackjack-0540041u.html
- 4 of 20
Black Magic (Tozer Seeds America, Garden Trends Inc DBA Harris Seeds)
‘Black Magic's’ deep green color and exceptionally sweet, rich flavor set this outstanding Lacinato-type kale apart. The narrow, strappy leaves are deeply puckered, for a gorgeous appearance. The upright plants are easy to harvest and offer improved bolt tolerance over traditional Lacinato strains. ‘Black Magic's’ dark color is striking when displayed in mature bunches, and adds an unexpected element to baby mesclun blends. Matures in 60 days.
Region: well-adapted
https://www.harrisseeds.com/products/11430-kale-black-magic?variant=28918496145
- 5 of 20
Blues (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
‘Blues’ is a hybrid Napa cabbage that’s extra slow to bolt, with moderate head height, medium-green outer leaves, and a white interior. with head weight of approximately 4.5 pounds, The barrel-shaped heads average approximately 4.5 pounds. It’s recommended for summer to early winter harvest. ‘Blues’ is very well suited to areas where bolting is a problem. Matures 57 days after sowing.
Region: Most North American growing regions
Disease package: DM, BSR
- 6 of 20
Cash Crop (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
‘Cash Crop’ is a hybrid collard with a vigorous upright plant habit with long petioles, ideal for bunching. It has deep green leaf color and flat leaf surface, and excellent re-growth rates with high leaf count. It can be stripped as early as 50 days from transplant and allowed to regrow. The fine vein extension presentation and good internode separation make it easy to harvest. Best suited for summer to fall and mid-spring harvest. Matures approximately 75 days from transplant, but can extend to more than 100 days.
Region: Widely adaptable
Disease package: HT: Bolting
- 7 of 20
Castula (BASF | Nunhems)
‘Castula’ is a fresh market hybrid that has good savoyness and texture. It has a medium growth speed.
Disease package: Pe (1-17, 19, 20), Sv
- 8 of 20
Corelli F1 (Bejo USA & Canada)
‘Corelli F1’ is a mid-winter radicchio variety with nice field storage capabilities. The large, dark-red color heads have a thick leaf texture. A multi-use radicchio for both fresh market and processing. Matures in 120 to 130 days.
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Crawford (SEEDWAY LLC)
‘Crawford’ is a new collard green that is catching the attention of those who first grew it. The leaves are somewhat bigger than usual. Matures in 70 days.
https://www.seedway.com/product/crawford-collard-greens-treated-seed/
- 10 of 20
Full Heart 65 (Gowan Seed Company)
‘Full Heart 65’ is an OP escarole. It has healthy, broad dark green outer leaves with a deep heart which is white at the core. Gowan premium selection of this classic line. Matures in 85 days.
- 11 of 20
Magnetic (Seminis Seed America)
This savoy-type plant features oval to slightly pointed leaves and an upright growth habit. It offers a broad sowing window, strong vigor and structure that makes easy harvesting and good yield potential.
Region: West
Disease package: HR: DM
- 12 of 20
Marshall (Bejo USA & Canada)
‘Marshall F1’ is a semi-savoy spinach with a strong disease package. It has an intermediate growth speed, and smoother leaf with versatile growing slot. ‘Marshall F1’ has excellent leaf shape and uniformity!
Disease package: HR: Pe (1-20), Sv
- 13 of 20
Mizuna Lime Streak (Terra Organics)
‘Mizuna Lime Streak’ is a mustard green with deeply serrated, light lime streaked leaves. They are thick and vigorous. An attractive variety at fresh market. Matures in 45 days.
Region: All USA
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Mizuna Red Streaked (Seeds by Design)
‘Mizuna Red Streaked’ is a frilly mustard green. It has a dark color at small stage, great texture and taste. A colorful mustard green for fresh market. A Matures in 45 days.
Region: All USA
https://seedsbydesign.com/products/mustard-seeds-mizuna-seeds-red-streaked
- 15 of 20
Moonshadow (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Exclusive! ‘Moonshadow’ is a slow bolting, purple Ethiopian kale that has good field holding. The leaves are teardrop shaped with a scalloped edge. A mild kale flavor with a hint of garlic. Matures in 21 days for baby leaf and 40 days for full size.
Region: Widely adapted
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/greens/mustard-greens/moonshadow-mustard-green-seed-5541.html
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Plymouth (Sakata Seed America, Stokes Seeds, Inc.)
‘Plymouth’ is a hybrid smooth leaf spinach. It has medium-dark green leaves that are uniform in shape and size. The upright plant habit makes it a good choice for both processing or fresh market. It grows moderate to fast with great yield potential. Matures in 40 to 45 days.
Region: North America
Disease package: HR: Pe (1-11, 13, 15, 16)
https://us.stokeseeds.com/hybridspinach-plymouth-0860170.html
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Red Dragon (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds)
‘Red Dragon’ is a baby red oak leaf lettuce. It’s extremely upright, uniform, cherry-colored variety with good shelf life and field holding ability.
Region: USA
https://www.ruppseeds.com/vegetables/products/greens/red-dragon
- 18 of 20
Rubybor (Bejo USA & Canada, Osborne Quality Seeds)
An AAS Winner! ‘Rubybor’ is a curly kale that brings deep-purple color to market bunches and mixed greens. It holds its purple stems and veining even through summer heat. The upright, compact plants stay uniform and productive, with trials reporting as much as double the leaf weight of other red kales. The leaves are finely frilled and tender. Plant it for spring through fall harvests, and expect usable leaves in about 60 days from transplanting. It also earns points as an edible ornamental, winning a 2026 All-America Selections Gold Medal.
https://www.osborneseed.com/products/rubybor-f1-untreated-kale-seeds
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Tatsoi Scarlet (Seeds by Design)
‘Tatsoi Scarlet’ is a mustard green with beautiful red shade leaves. It can be cut small, or grow to a semi heading rosette. A beauty at fresh market. Matures in 30 days.
Region: All USA
https://seedsbydesign.com/products/mustard-seeds-tat-soi-seeds-scarlet-red
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Tokyo Bekana (Terra Organics, Osborne Quality Seeds)
A loose-head Chinese cabbage grown for baby leaf and bunching. ‘Tokyo Bekana’s’ light green, ruffled leaves have crunchy white stems, and a mild sweet flavor. The plants are vigorous and can be cut multiple times. A show-stopper at fresh market. Matures in 45 days.
Region: All USA
https://seedsbydesign.com/products/mustard-seeds-tokyo-bekana-organic
https://www.osborneseed.com/products/tokyo-bekana-untreated-asian-greens-seeds
View all
Benefine (Enza Zaden, Garden Trends Inc DBA Harris Seeds)
Betelgeuse (BASF | Nunhems)
Black Jack (Tozer Seeds America, Stokes Seeds, Inc.)
Black Magic (Tozer Seeds America, Garden Trends Inc DBA Harris Seeds)
Blues (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
Cash Crop (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
Castula (BASF | Nunhems)
Corelli F1 (Bejo USA & Canada)
Crawford (SEEDWAY LLC)
Full Heart 65 (Gowan Seed Company)
Magnetic (Seminis Seed America)
Marshall (Bejo USA & Canada)
Mizuna Lime Streak (Terra Organics)
Mizuna Red Streaked (Seeds by Design)
Moonshadow (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Plymouth (Sakata Seed America, Stokes Seeds, Inc.)
Red Dragon (Sakata Seed America, Rupp Seeds)
Rubybor (Bejo USA & Canada, Osborne Quality Seeds)
Tatsoi Scarlet (Seeds by Design)
Tokyo Bekana (Terra Organics, Osborne Quality Seeds)
Disease Abbreviation Key:
Foc — Fusarium, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.congutinans
HR — High resistance
IR — Intermediate resistance
Pb — Lettuce Root Aphid, Caused by insect, Pemphigus bursarius
Pe — Downy mildew, Peronospora effusa pathogen
Pfs — Downy mildew
TB — Tip burn
Xcc — Black rot caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris
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Carol Miller is Editor of American Vegetable Grower. See all author stories here.