Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis var. rosularis Seeds | Rosette Cabbage
LATIN NAME: Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis var. Rosularis
COMMON NAME: Tai Ko Tsoi
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Tai Ko Tsoi, Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis var. Rosularis is a noteworthy species in the cabbage family. Tai ko tsoi is rosette of green that cool-season garden cannot do without. Low, flat plant forms tight, handsome rosettes of rounded, spoon-shaped, dark-green leaves with puckered, crumpled look, and the whole plant is one leaf after another of the sweet, mild flavour. Plant is a fine, easy green of cool months, standing cold well and giving cut-and-come-again pickings through winter and early spring. It is hard to name another plant that gives this much for this little trouble.
Science & Biotechnology
Brassica rapa subsp. Chinensis var. Rosularis sits in the cabbage family, a group that keeps botanists, horticulturists and plant breeders busy with questions of classification, adaptation and ornamental potential. Tai ko tsoi holds a quiet place in studies of tight rosettes of puckered, dark-green leaves and sweet, mild flavour. Breeders and collectors still work with it, so well-kept seed remains available.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Tai Ko Tsoi has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Tai ko tsoi is a fine, easy green of cool months. Tight rosettes of puckered leaves give sweet, mild pickings through winter and early spring, when other greens rest, and plant is a classic of stir-fries, soups and the light sautés of the East. Low, neat rosettes are also a handsome, easy crop of small garden, pot and cold frame, standing frost well. Once it has its roots down, it more or less looks after itself.
The cabbage family is the cornerstone of cancer-prevention nutrition research: glucosinolates in broccoli, kale, mustard and their kin convert to sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, compounds studied intensively for their role in cellular defense. Few plant groups have stronger evidence as everyday functional foods.
Growing from Seed
Raising Tai Ko Tsoi from seed is straightforward. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Once the seedlings have made true leaves, pot them on individually and plant out when they are sturdy and conditions are right.
Our Take
Tai Ko Tsoi repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
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