Mature size & growth rate

How big does Walking Stick Kale (Brassica oleracea var. longata) get?

Also called walking stick kale, Jersey kale, tall tree kale, cow cabbage.

More about walking stick kale

About Walking Stick Kale

Brassica oleracea var. longata · also called walking stick kale, Jersey kale · edible

Walking stick kale, the Jersey cabbage, is a curiosity brassica that grows a tall, woody single stem 1.5-3 m high, traditionally dried and varnished into walking canes. Its young leaves are edible like ordinary kale and were historically used as cattle fodder. A long-season biennial, it needs a full growing year, firm staking and a sheltered, fertile site to reach its towering, top-heavy height.

Mature size: Commonly 1.5-2 m tall, exceptionally to 3 m or more under ideal conditions, with a leaf crown 45-60 cm across.

Watch for — Wind rock and toppling: The tall, top-heavy stem easily blows over and loosens its roots. Plant very firmly in a sheltered spot, earth up the base, and stake the stem securely as it grows.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Walking Stick 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 commonly 1.5-2 m tall, exceptionally to 3 m or more under ideal conditions, with a leaf crown 45-60 cm across.. A pot, your light levels and a little pruning are what set the final size in a home, far more than the plant's theoretical potential.

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

Walking Stick 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 very hungry, long-season plant. prepare the ground deeply with plenty of compost or aged manure and side-dress with a nitrogen-rich fertiliser through the season to fuel the tall stem and continual leaf production.

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

How to keep walking stick kale smaller

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

Choose a compact or dwarf variety of walking stick 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 walking stick kale bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for walking stick 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 walking stick kale light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When walking stick kale outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for walking stick 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 walking stick kale repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the walking stick kale propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Walking Stick Kale size — frequently asked questions

How big does walking stick kale get?

Walking Stick Kale reaches commonly 1.5-2 m tall, exceptionally to 3 m or more under ideal conditions, with a leaf crown 45-60 cm across. when grown indoors. 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 walking stick kale slow or fast growing?

Walking Stick Kale is a fast grower. Expect a single growing season — it reaches full size in one year, then is done. Walking Stick 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 walking stick 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 walking stick kale smaller?

Choose a compact or dwarf variety of walking stick 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 walking stick 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.