Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Crambe cordifolia

Greater Sea-kale · Colewort

Family BrassicaceaeGenus Crambe

A vast cloud of tiny white flowers on branching stems above big crinkled basal leaves, in a garden
The whole plantRasbakCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
WhiteRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, North Caucasus, Pakistan and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

Two sources report 7 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 4 days to germinate.

50% germination in 4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 40-70D(2/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/2 in 4th d), and 70D(0/2). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 4th w), 70L(1/5 in 2nd w), and 40(1/5 in 3rd w) indicating no significant dying. Seeds DS 2 y (2 seeds) failed to germinate and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 22, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 14 days.

40% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 40-70D(2/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/2 in 4th d), and 70D(0/2). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 4th w), 70L(1/5 in 2nd w), and 40(1/5 in 3rd w) indicating no significant dying. Seeds DS 2 y (2 seeds) failed to germinate and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 16, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 15, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

about 12 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 21 days.

20% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 40-70D(2/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/2 in 4th d), and 70D(0/2). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 4th w), 70L(1/5 in 2nd w), and 40(1/5 in 3rd w) indicating no significant dying. Seeds DS 2 y (2 seeds) failed to germinate and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 9, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 8, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 12 months from start to sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

20% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 40-70D(2/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/2 in 4th d), and 70D(0/2). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 4th w), 70L(1/5 in 2nd w), and 40(1/5 in 3rd w) indicating no significant dying. Seeds DS 2 y (2 seeds) failed to germinate and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 23, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 22, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 12 months from start to sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

20% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 40-70D(2/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/2 in 4th d), and 70D(0/2). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D(1/5 in 4th w), 70L(1/5 in 2nd w), and 40(1/5 in 3rd w) indicating no significant dying. Seeds DS 2 y (2 seeds) failed to germinate and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Crambe p. 27. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 6

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 2, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 3 days to germinate.

50% germination in 3 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Crambe p. 34Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 6/10 in 7 d in 70L if fresh. Unfortunately 70D was not tried on this sample. A second sample germ. 70L(1/2 on . 3rd d) and 70D(0/2). A commercial sample germ. 10-20% in 70L over 2 m with some further germination over an extended period. This was unchanged by a further 1 y DS.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Crambe p. 34. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 7

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Crambe p. 34Public domain
Show the original text
Crambe (Brassicaceae). C. cordifolia germ. 6/10 in 7 d in 70L if fresh. Unfortunately 70D was not tried on this sample. A second sample germ. 70L(1/2 on . 3rd d) and 70D(0/2). A commercial sample germ. 10-20% in 70L over 2 m with some further germination over an extended period. This was unchanged by a further 1 y DS.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Crambe p. 34. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

Add to My Garden

View species page