Family: Brassicaceae. While technically edible, these cultivars are bred for their aesthetic qualities and can be quite bitter. They are non-toxic to humans and common pets.

Ornamental kale belongs to the Brassica oleracea species, the same botanical group that gives us cabbage, broccoli, and kale. While prized by gardeners for its vibrant, rosette-like foliage that intensifies in color as temperatures drop, it is essentially a non-heading variety of the edible vegetable, celebrated for its aesthetic endurance in late-autumn landscapes.