Mature size & growth rate

How big does Lacinato Kale (Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia 'Lacinato') get?

Also called Lacinato kale, Tuscan kale, dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, black kale.

More about lacinato kale

About Lacinato Kale

Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia 'Lacinato' · also called Lacinato kale, Tuscan kale · edible

Lacinato kale, also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, is an Italian heirloom with long, narrow, deeply puckered blue-green leaves on an upright stem. It is one of the most cold-hardy kales, sweetening after frost, and can stand through winter in mild areas. A heavy-feeding, cool-season biennial grown as an annual, it tolerates heat better than most kales but is at its sweetest in cool weather.

Mature size: Typically 60-90 cm tall and 45-60 cm wide; can reach over 1 m if overwintered.

Watch for — Clubroot: Stunted, wilting plants with swollen, distorted roots in infected brassica soil. Rotate crops, lime to near-neutral pH and improve drainage; the spores persist for years.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Lacinato Kale reaches its full size within one growing season — there is no "long-term" size, just how big it gets before you harvest or it dies back. Indoors and in a pot, expect typically 60-90 cm tall and 45-60 cm wide. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — can reach over 1 m if overwintered. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

It sizes up fast and once, racing from seedling to full size in a single season; after cropping it is finished, so size is a within-season question.

Growth rate and years to mature

Lacinato Kale is a fast grower. Realistically, expect a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Its feeding profile backs this up: a hungry leafy brassica. dig in plenty of compost or aged manure before planting and side-dress or liquid-feed with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser every 3-4 weeks through the growing season for continuous leaf production.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the lacinato kale repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast lacinato kale grows.

How to keep lacinato kale smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For lacinato kale specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

Choose a compact or dwarf variety of lacinato kale from the start — that is the most reliable size control for an annual.
Grow it in a smaller container to naturally limit how large it gets.
For some crops, pinching or pruning the growing tips keeps the plant shorter and bushier.
Sow a little later or space plants closer if you specifically want smaller individual plants.

How to grow lacinato kale bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for lacinato kale the accelerators are:

Full sun, warm soil and steady water are what drive a crop to full size fastest.
Sow at the right time for your zone so it gets the whole season to size up.
Feed appropriately for the crop and never let it check (stall) from drought or cold.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The lacinato kale light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When lacinato kale outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for lacinato kale:

It sprawls beyond its bed or container before harvest — usually a spacing or support issue.
It flops or needs staking once it hits full height.
Once it has fruited or bolted, it is at its final size for good — the next plant is a new sowing.

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the lacinato kale repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the lacinato kale propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Lacinato Kale size — frequently asked questions

How big does lacinato kale get?

Lacinato Kale reaches typically 60-90 cm tall and 45-60 cm wide when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (can reach over 1 m if overwintered.). It sizes up fast and once, racing from seedling to full size in a single season; after cropping it is finished, so size is a within-season question.

Is lacinato kale slow or fast growing?

Lacinato Kale is a fast grower. Expect a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Lacinato Kale reaches its full size within one growing season — there is no "long-term" size, just how big it gets before you harvest or it dies back.

How long does lacinato kale take to reach full size?

Roughly a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep lacinato kale smaller?

Choose a compact or dwarf variety of lacinato kale from the start — that is the most reliable size control for an annual. Grow it in a smaller container to naturally limit how large it gets. For some crops, pinching or pruning the growing tips keeps the plant shorter and bushier. Sow a little later or space plants closer if you specifically want smaller individual plants.

How can I make lacinato kale grow bigger or faster?

Full sun, warm soil and steady water are what drive a crop to full size fastest. Sow at the right time for your zone so it gets the whole season to size up. Feed appropriately for the crop and never let it check (stall) from drought or cold.