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Michigan Tree Collards

5 Cuttings, 20 seeds MTCO_E-5-C-S $180.00 Out of stock


Sold out but Available from Project Tree Collards, California. Tree collards are a joy to grow. 'Michigan' tree collards adds to this ease and joy of one of the most well known perennial vegetables.  Imagine growing a tree type brassica able to produce lots of delicious greens each year increasing in size and durability to drought and cold. This is the 'Michigan' variety.

This selection was found as a chance seedling out of 400 plants grown from The Tree Collard Project in California.  It was a rare  find in that the minus 17 F winter destroyed all the exposed outdoor seedling plants except three. From these three plants, one had grown 5 ft. in one season. I made cuttings from this vigorous selection. Finally after several minus 20 F winters outdoors, this seedling was named and distributed. 'Michigan' also produces some seeds too and this could be an avenue to develop even more zone 5 hardy brassica varieties. 

These selections have one thing in common: extreme root hardiness and woody older stems that resist extreme cold temperatures. The plants will sprout from below the ground and develop a tree type physiology with thick stems on the older portions of the plants as they mature into their third and fourth years. So far our 'Michigan' plants are now over 10 years old. Some parts of them sometimes die back to the ground only to resprout from the root or crown. Seeds of this selection will be included with your order for you to experiment with and develop your own varieties. The seedlings from this strain are more resistant to cold than the original seed source as it is hybridized with other hardy brassicas in my collection.

To Root the Cuttings:   Cuttings can be stuck into a normal peat moss perlite mixture. Cuttings do not need additional rooting compounds to root. When you get your cuttings, they can be refrigerated  until you are ready for rooting. They come in a lightly moist paper towel. This method of storage is for only short periods of time. 

20 Seeds Included of Outdoor Selections: Minus 20 F hardy. To germinate the seeds: treat like other brassicas, plant after danger of frost and lightly cover the seeds. Keep moist. Seeds will sprout within 7-14 days. Using a wider spacing between the seedlings is a good idea to allow for the plants to develop as much caliper as possible to evaluate hardiness. 

Package includes 5 unrooted cuttings and a package of seeds from my outdoor plants that have taken minus 27F once. Purchasing this selection means you have also purchased the right to clonally reproduce it without restrictions.  If sold in the nursery trade, then "As developed by Kenneth Asmus of Oikos Tree Crops" must be within the text of the description.

Comes with 5 cuttings and 20 seeds. Cuttings can be cut two or three times to make up to 15 plants. Seeds have a 90% germination rate. 


Includes 5 cuttings to be grown as the "Michigan" Variety  and 20 seeds to further develop outdoor hardy selections.  The outdoor selections are seedlings from tree collard plants that have so far made it outside past 5 years of age. This is the seeds you are getting. 



Plant Specs
Genus & Species Brassica hybrid
Seed Source Michigan Seedling Selection
Hardiness Has taken minus 27 F once but with snow cover. Withstands minus 10 F several times in our polyhouses and outdoors over the course of a decade.
Height (ft) 5-10 ft. with equal width. Has not been tested enough to see what the actual size will be.
Pollination Requirements Not a great seed producer but will produce if cross pollinated. Has not been fertile if isolated for me.
Soil Does best in moisture retentive soil but fully tolerant of sandy and sandy loam soils.
Climate Does best in a cool climates but tolerant from zones 4-10.
Ease of Cultivation One of the easiest greens to grow, collards should be on the menu for everyone as the flavor is more appealing than kale for many people. The main issue is with cabbage butterfly and deer. I use neem as a repellant and insecticide for the larvae of cabbage butterfly and use Deer Off from Menards to prevent hungry deer. They love all things brassica. The plants are highly vigorous but are sensitive to drought often wilting in the summer heat if not irrigated regularly. The plants may loose their vigor in drought but quickly respond to rain or irrigation and then put on new flushes of growth. This is the joy of the tree collards. They taste good and grow quickly.