Crambe orientalis Morning Snow - Flowering Sea Kale

The Crambe orientalis 'Morning Snow' is a compact form of Crambe cordifolia, better known as the cloud cabbage, which is also decorative but more suitable for small spaces. Its fragrant flowering evokes a cloud of small white flowers, dominating and hiding basal foliage with a thick texture that reminds us of its relationship with the cabbage in the vegetable garden. It is a hardy and perennial plant that will delight gardeners for about ten years. Place it in the sun, a little distance from other plants that it fears competition from. Provide deep, light, well-drained, fertile soil, even limestone.

The Morning Snow Crambe is sometimes listed as Crambe cordifolia Morning Snow, notably by the Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S). It is probably a hybrid variety born from the cross-breeding between Crambe orientalis, native to the Middle East, and its close Caucasian relative, Crambe cordifolia. It is a plant of the Brassicaceae family, formerly cruciferous. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a robust root growing deep into the soil to draw water and nutrients. This allows it to withstand water shortages once established. It takes time to settle in and will only reach its full potential after 2 to 3 years of cultivation.

The basal foliage develops in spring from the base at ground level, forming a shrub with a diameter of 40 cm (16in). Then, thick and intensely branched floral stems rise, reaching about 1.20 m (4ft) in height, forming a cloud-like ball about 60-70 cm (24-28in) in all directions. Depending on the climate, this airy flowering occurs from late May to late July on plants aged 2 or 3 years. It consists of branched spikes where tiny white flowers with a yellow heart of 1 cm (1in), with four petals, cling. Nectar-rich, emitting a sweet and mild fragrance reminiscent of honey, they attract a large number of pollinating insects. The floral stems can remain on the plant after the petals fall. The flowering is followed by forming small, hard and round fruits called silicles, each containing a seed. The foliage, at the base of the stems emerges from the ground in the form of shiny and hairy shoots tinged with violet-brown. They unfold into large lobed leaves, reaching 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16in) in length. They are thick and fleshy, toothed and hairy at the edges, wrinkled and wavy in appearance and greyish-blue-green in colour. The few leaves on the stems are smaller, glabrous, and oval-shaped. The basal foliage tends to be less beautiful or even disappear after flowering. 

The Crambe orientalis Morning Snow is not difficult to cultivate but requires sun and deep and well-drained soil. Like a paniculate gypsophila, it finds its place in flower beds, in the company of roses or shrub peonies, it will lighten their opulent flowering. Since this perennial takes time to settle in, you can sow annual plants (Nigella, Cosmos, centaureas, ornamental carrot) in the first year to fill the space reserved for it while waiting for its moment of glory. Pretty perennials like Geranium Rozanne or Blue Cloud (a blue cloud) will accompany it, at a distance, with simplicity. Other cloud-like flowering plants, such as Aster cordifolius or Eragrostis spectabilis, can be planted near the cabbage plant. Maintaining a safe distance between the plants when planting is essential to create a beautiful and poetic scene. These plants bloom from mid-summer until the first frost and will enhance the beauty of the cabbage foliage.