Richmond Purple Tree Collard

The official Green for the City of Richmond has been submitted to be the

Purple Tree Collard.

We have been growing Purple Tree Collard greens

and have enjoyed them for years.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard Information

This information is from the City Council resolution submitted by Richmond Councilman Tom Butts to make The Perennial Purple Tree Collard the Official Green of Richmond, CA.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard is delicious (especially sweet in cold weather) and is better than standard collards.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard (Brassica oleracea v acephala) is a hybrid of the cabbage family.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard is easy to propagate (just take an 8 inch stem cutting and stick it in moist soil in the winter).

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard is perennial -- no need to replant or fuss with it like annuals -- just cut it back in the winter and watch for new growth each year.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard’s leaves are rich in:

· Calcium (226 mg per cup, cooked),

· Vitamins B1, B2, B9, and C (which may be leached by cooking, however),

· Beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A),

· They are high in soluble fiber,

· They contain multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties: diindolylmethane, sulforaphane and selenium.

Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have recently discovered that

3,3'-Diindolylmethane in Brassica vegetables, such as collard greens, is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity.

Historical:

The Bay Area strain of purple tree collards gained national fame when Eric

Toiensmeier cited them, in his book Perennial Vegetables, as one of the only decent-tasting perennial brassicas he had ever tried.

The history and biological identity of the Perennial Purple Tree Collard seems to be shrouded in mystery, but they are reputed to have come from Africa and have been preserved and passed on within African-American communities in this country. They do not normally flower or make seed. When they do make seed, the seed does not breed true. Instead propagation is by cuttings, which are passed along from gardener to gardener. Most likely, African-Americans from the South, first brought the Perennial Purple Tree Collard to the Bay Area during the WWII-era and the Perennial Purple Tree

Collard is intimately linked with the city of Richmond's history.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard is the mascot of Urban Tilth, a non-profit organization, in West Contra Costa County, that promotes urban agriculture in our community to build a more sustainable, healthy and "just" food system. Urban Tilth is working with schools, community-based organizations, government agencies, businesses, and individuals to develop the capacity to produce 5% of our own food supply.

The Perennial Purple Tree Collard propagated by Urban Tilth was a 12-foot tall mother plant from the abandoned garden at JO Ford Elementary School in Richmond.

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And can you believe there is even a blog on the Perennial Purple Tree Collard.