{{short description|Variety of plant}} {{about|the plant|the Schoolboy Q song|Collard Greens (song)}} {{Infobox Cultivar | name = Collard | image = Collard-Greens-Bundle.jpg | image_caption = A bundle of collard greens | species = ''Brassica oleracea'' | group = Acephala Group | origin = Greece | subdivision = Many; see text. }} thumb|Young collard plants '''Collard''' is a group of loose-leafed cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'' (the same species as many common vegetables, including cabbage and broccoli). Part of the Acephala Group (or "kale group"), collard is also classified as the variety ''B. oleracea'' var. ''viridis''.
The plants are grown as a food crop for their large, dark-green, edible leaves, which are cooked and eaten as vegetables. Collard has been cultivated as food since classical antiquity.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards | Archives | Aggie Horticulture |url=http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402075420/https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html |archive-date=2023-04-02 |access-date=2012-07-26 |publisher=Texas A&M University}}</ref>
== Nomenclature == The term ''colewort'' is a medieval term for non-heading brassica crops.<ref>{{cite OED|collard|id=36222}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards |url=https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html |access-date=2018-04-02 |publisher=Texas A&M Agricultural Extension}}</ref>
The term collard has been used to include many non-heading ''Brassica oleracea'' crops. While American collards are best placed as the Viridis variety,<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Pelc |first1=Sandra E. |last2=Couillard |first2=David M. |last3=Stansell |first3=Zachary J. |last4=Farnham |first4=Mark W. |date=2015 |title=Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Collard Landraces and their Relationship to Other ''Brassica oleracea'' Crops |journal=The Plant Genome |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=eplantgenome2015.04.0023 |doi=10.3835/plantgenome2015.04.0023 |issn=1940-3372 |pmid=33228266 |s2cid=55772782 |doi-access=free}}</ref> the Acephala group is also used. ''Acephala'' is Greek for 'without a head', referring to a lack of close-knit core of leaves (a "head") like cabbage does, making collards more tolerant of high humidity levels and less susceptible to fungal diseases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.floridata.com/ref/b/bras_ole_kale.cfm |title=''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''acephala'' |publisher=Floridata |date=2007-02-06 |access-date=2012-07-26}}</ref>
In Africa, it is known as ''sukuma'' (East Africa), ''muriwo'' or ''umBhida''. In Kashmir, it is known as ''haakh'' (Kashmir).
== Description == Collard is a biennial where winter frost occurs; some varieties may be perennial in warmer regions. It has an upright stalk, often growing over two feet tall and up to six feet for the Portuguese cultivars. Popular cultivars of collard include 'Georgia Southern', 'Vates', 'Morris Heading', 'Blue Max', 'Top Bunch', 'Butter Collard' (''couve manteiga''), ''couve tronchuda'', and ''Groninger Blauw''.<ref name=":0" />
== Taxonomy == Collard is generally described as part of the Acephala group (or "kale group"),<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Farnham |first=Mark W. |date=May 1996 |title=Genetic Variation among and within United States Collard Cultivars and Landraces as Determined by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA Markers |journal=Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science |volume=121 |issue=3 |pages=374–379 |doi=10.21273/jashs.121.3.374 |issn=0003-1062 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last1=Quiros |first1=Carlos F. |title=The Genetics of ''Brassica oleracea'' |date=2011 |work=Genetics and Genomics of the Brassicaceae |pages=261–289 |editor-last=Schmidt |editor-first=Renate |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7118-0_9 |access-date=2020-11-28 |series=Plant Genetics and Genomics: Crops and Models |place=New York, NY |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-1-4419-7118-0_9 |isbn=978-1-4419-7118-0 |last2=Farnham |first2=Mark W. |editor2-last=Bancroft |editor2-first=Ian|url-access=subscription }}</ref> but is also classified as the variety ''B. oleracea'' var. ''viridis''.<ref name=":0"/>
== Cultivation == thumb|A field of collard in Pennsylvania The plant is commercially cultivated for its thick, slightly bitter, edible leaves. They are available year-round, but are tastier and more nutritious in the cold months, after the first frost.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} For best texture, the leaves are picked before they reach their maximum size, at which stage they are thicker and are cooked differently from the new leaves. Age only has a minute effect on flavor.{{fact|date=August 2025}}
Flavor and texture also depend on the cultivar; the ''couve manteiga'' and ''couve tronchuda'' are especially appreciated in Brazil and Portugal. The large number of varieties grown in the United States decreased as people moved to towns after World War II, leaving only five varieties commonly in cultivation. However, seeds of many varieties remained in use by individual farmers, growers and seed savers as well as within U.S. government seed collections.<ref name="Freeman2021">{{cite web |last1=Freeman |first1=Debra |title=The Farmers and Gardeners Saving the South's Signature Green |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/collard-greens |website=Atlas Obscura |date=19 March 2021 |access-date=23 March 2021}}</ref> In the Appalachian region, ''cabbage collards'', characterized by yellow-green leaves and a partially heading structure are more popular than the dark-green non-heading types in the coastal South.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Collards |url=http://www.uapress.ua.edu/product/Collards,6061.aspx |access-date=2020-11-28 |website= University of Alabama Press}}</ref> There have been projects from the early 2000s to both preserve seeds of uncommon varieties and also enable more varieties to return to cultivation.<ref name="HeirloomCollardProject">{{Cite web|title=The Heirloom Collard Project|url=https://heirloomcollards.org/|access-date=2020-12-07|website=The Heirloom Collards Project}}</ref>
=== Pests === The sting nematode, ''Belonolaimus gracilis'' and the awl nematode, ''Dolichodorus spp.'' are both ectoparasites that can injure collard. Root symptoms include stubby or coarse roots that are dark at the tips. Shoot symptoms include stunted growth, premature wilting, and chlorosis (Nguyen and Smart, 1975). Another species of the sting worm, ''Belonolaimus longicaudatus'', is a pest of collards in Georgia and North Carolina (Robbins and Barker, 1973). ''B. longicaudatus'' is devastating to seedlings and transplants. As few as three nematodes per {{cvt|100|g}} of soil when transplanting can cause significant yield losses on susceptible plants. They are most common in sandy soils.<ref name="Noling 2012">{{cite journal|last1=Noling |first1=Joseph W. |url=https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/download/115439/136936/242597 |format=PDF |title=Nematodes and Their Management |journal=EDIS |date=2012-01-01 |orig-date=2006-11-01 |location=Gainesville, Florida |volume=2012 |number=1 |doi=10.32473/edis-cv112-2006|doi-access=free }}</ref>{{fact|date=August 2025}}
The stubby root nematodes ''Trichodorus'' and ''Paratrichodorus'' attach and feed near the tip of collard's taproots. The damage caused prevents proper root elongation leading to tight mats that could appear swollen, therefore resulting in a "stubby root".<ref name="Noling 2012" />{{fact|date=August 2025}}
Several species of the root knot nematode ''Meloidogyne spp.'' infest collards. These include: ''M. javanica'', ''M. incognita'' and ''M. arenaria''. Second-stage juveniles attack the plant and settle in the roots. However, infestation seems to occur at lower populations compared to other cruciferous plants. Root symptoms include deformation (galls) and injury that prevent proper water and nutrient uptake. This could eventually lead to stunting, wilting and chlorosis of the shoots.<ref>Crow and Dunn, 2012.</ref>
The false root knot nematode ''Nacobbus aberrans'' has a wide host range of up to 84 species including many weeds. On Brassicas it has been reported in several states, including Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Kansas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Manzanilla-López |first1=R. H. |last2=Costilla |first2=M. A. |last3=Doucet |first3=M. |first4=J. |last4=Franco |first5=R. N. |last5=Inserra |first6=P. S. |last6=Lehman |first7=I. |last7=Cid del Prado-Vera |first8=R. M. |last8=Souza |first9=K. |last9=Evans |date=2002-12-01 |title=The genus ''Nacobbus'' Thorne & Allen, 1944 (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae): systematics, distribution, biology and management. |url=https://journals.flvc.org/nematropica/article/view/69655 |journal=Nematropica |volume=32 |number=2 |access-date=2026-04-28}}</ref> As a pest of collards, the degree of damage is dependent upon the nematode population in the soil.{{fact|date=August 2025}}
Some collard cultivars exhibit resistance to bacterial leaf blight incited by ''Pseudomonas cannabina'' pv. ''alisalensis'' (''Pca'').<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Branham |first1=Sandra E. |last2=Farnham |first2=Mark W. |last3=Robinson |first3=Shane M. |last4=Wechter |first4=W. Patrick |date=2018-06-01 |title=Identification of Resistance to Bacterial Leaf Blight in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Collard Collection |url=https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/53/6/article-p838.xml |journal=HortScience |volume=53 |issue=6 |pages=838–841 |doi=10.21273/HORTSCI12347-17 |issn=0018-5345 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
== Uses == === Nutrition === {{nutritional value | name = Collard greens, boiled | kJ = 137 | opt1n = Water | opt1v = 90.2 g | protein = 2.7 g | fat = 0.7 g | carbs = 5.5 g | fiber = 4 g | sugars = 0.4 g | calcium_mg = 141 | iron_mg = 1.13 | magnesium_mg = 21 | phosphorus_mg = 32 | potassium_mg = 117 | sodium_mg = 15 | zinc_mg = 0.23 | manganese_mg = 0.51 | vitC_mg = 18 | thiamin_mg = 0.04 | riboflavin_mg = 0.11 | niacin_mg = 0.58 | pantothenic_mg = 0.22 | vitB6_mg = 0.13 | folate_ug = 16 | vitA_ug = 380 | betacarotene_ug = 4513 | lutein_ug = 6197 | vitE_mg = 0.9 | vitK_ug = 407 | source_usda = 1 | note = [https://web.archive.org/web/20170111181508/https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2928?fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=&sort=&qlookup=&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby= Full Link to USDA Database entry] }}
Raw collard greens are 90% water, 6% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). Like kale, collard greens contain substantial amounts of vitamin K (339% of the Daily Value, DV) in a {{convert|100|g|adj=on}} serving. Collard greens are rich sources (20% or more of DV) of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese, and moderate sources of calcium and vitamin B6.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Farnham|first1=Mark W.|last2=Lester|first2=Gene E.|last3=Hassell|first3=Richard|date=2012-08-01|title=Collard, mustard and turnip greens: Effects of genotypes and leaf position on concentrations of ascorbic acid, folate, β-carotene, lutein and phylloquinone|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157512000816|journal=Journal of Food Composition and Analysis|volume=27|issue=1|pages=1–7|doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2012.04.008|issn=0889-1575|url-access=subscription}}</ref> A {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=off|adj=on|frac=2}} reference serving of cooked collard greens provides {{convert|137|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of food energy.
=== Culinary === {{Cookbook|Collard Greens}}
==== East Africa ==== Collard greens are known as ''sukuma wiki'' in Swahilli and are one of the most common vegetables in East Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Swegarden|first1=Hannah|last2=Stelick|first2=Alina|last3=Dando|first3=Robin|last4=Griffiths|first4=Phillip D.|date=2019|title=Bridging Sensory Evaluation and Consumer Research for Strategic Leafy Brassica (''Brassica oleracea'') Improvement|url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1750-3841.14831|journal=Journal of Food Science|volume=84|issue=12|pages=3746–3762|doi=10.1111/1750-3841.14831|pmid=31681987|s2cid=207897390|issn=1750-3841|url-access=subscription}}</ref> ''Sukuma'' is mainly lightly sauteed in oil until tender, flavoured with onions and seasoned with salt, and served either as the main dish or as a side dish with meat or fish. In Congo, Tanzania and Kenya, thinly sliced collard greens are commonly eaten alongside another popular dish made from maize flour, known as ''sima'' or ''ugali''.
==== Southern and Eastern Europe ==== Collards have been cultivated in Europe for thousands of years with references to the Greeks and Romans back to the 1st century CE.<ref>{{cite web |title=Greeks and Romans Grew Kale and Collards |url=https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/publications/vegetabletravelers/kale.html |website=Aggie Horticulture |publisher=Texas A & M Agrilife Extension |access-date=1 November 2019}}</ref> In Montenegro, Dalmatia and Herzegovina, collard greens, locally known as ''raštika'' or ''raštan'', were traditionally one of the staple vegetables. It is particularly popular in the winter, stewed with smoked mutton (''kaštradina'') or cured pork, root vegetables and potatoes.<ref>Liliana Pavicic and Gordana Pirker-Mosher {{google books|-W2XYRYORFcC|Best of Croatian Cooking|page=137}}</ref> Known in Turkey as ''kara lahana'' ("dark cabbage"), it is a staple in the Black Sea area. It is also an essential ingredient in many Spanish soups and stews, like the pote asturiano, from the Asturian province. ==== United States ==== left|thumb|Collard greens fried with bacon, peppers, onions, and garlic, followed by slow cooking with chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cayenneCollard greens are a staple vegetable in Southern U.S. cuisine.<ref name=vitrano/><ref name="newsweek">{{cite web |title=Collard Greens Shortage Threatens New Year's Day Good Luck Recipe |url=https://www.newsweek.com/new-years-collard-greens-tradition-collard-greens-shortage-impacting-new-year-1273851 |website=Newsweek |date=28 December 2018 |access-date=1 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Farnham|first1=M. W.|last2=Davis|first2=E. H.|last3=Morgan|first3=J. T.|last4=Smith|first4=J. P.|date=2008|title=Neglected landraces of collard (''Brassica oleracea'' L. var. ''viridis'') from the Carolinas (USA)|journal=Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution|volume=55|issue=6|pages=797–801|doi=10.1007/s10722-007-9284-8|bibcode=2008GRCEv..55..797F |s2cid=9123036|url=https://search.nal.usda.gov/discovery/search?query=lds35,contains,20232-01nal_inst,AND&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=MyInstitution&vid=01NAL_INST:MAIN&mode=advanced&offset=0|issn=0925-9864|url-access=subscription}}</ref> They are often prepared with other similar green leaf vegetables, such as spinach, kale, turnip greens, and mustard greens in the dish called "mixed greens". Typically used in combination with collard greens are smoked and salted meats (ham hocks, smoked turkey drumsticks, smoked turkey necks, pork neckbones, fatback or other fatty meat), diced onions, vinegar, salt, and black pepper, white pepper, or crushed red pepper, and some cooks add a small amount of sugar. Traditionally, collards are eaten on New Year's Day, along with black-eyed peas or field peas and cornbread, to ensure wealth in the coming year.<ref name="vitrano">{{cite web |url=http://www2.scnow.com/news/2011/jan/01/dine-wise-new-years-day-certain-foods-could-bring--ar-1289366/ |title=Dine wise on New Year's Day, Certain foods could bring you luck |author=Vitrano A |publisher=South Carolina NOW |date=2011-01-01 |access-date=2012-07-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201220342/http://www2.scnow.com/news/2011/jan/01/dine-wise-new-years-day-certain-foods-could-bring--ar-1289366/ |archive-date=2013-02-01 }}</ref> Cornbread is used to soak up the "pot liquor", a nutrient-rich collard broth. Collard greens may also be thinly sliced and fermented to make a collard sauerkraut that is often cooked with flat dumplings. Landrace collard in-situ genetic diversity and ethnobotany are subjects of research for citizen-science groups.<ref name="HeirloomCollardProject" />
During the time of slavery in the U.S., collards were one of the most common plants grown in kitchen gardens and were used to supplement the rations provided by plantation owners.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |last=Wortman |first=Stefanie |date=2012 |title=Greens |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43473220 |journal=Southwest Review |volume=97 |issue=3 |pages=400–407 |issn=0038-4712 |jstor=43473220}}</ref> Greens were widely used because the plants could last through the winter weather and could withstand the heat of a southern summer even more so than spinach or lettuce.<ref name=":1" />
Broadly, collard greens symbolize Southern culture and African-American culture and identity. For example, jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk sported a collard leaf in his lapel to represent his African-American heritage.<ref name="davis">{{Cite book |last=H. |first=Davis, Edward |title=Collards: a southern tradition from seed to table |date=2015 |publisher=The University of Alabama Press |isbn=978-0-8173-8765-5 |oclc=906925404 }}</ref> In President Barack Obama's first state dinner, collard greens were included on the menu. Novelist and poet Alice Walker used collards to reference the intersection of African-American heritage and black women.<ref name="davis" /> There have been many collard festivals that celebrate African-American identity, including those in Port Wentworth, Georgia (since 1997), East Palo Alto, California (since 1998), Columbus, Ohio (since 2010), and Atlanta, Georgia (since 2011). In 2010, the Latibah Collard Greens Museum opened in Charlotte, North Carolina.<ref name="davis" />
==== Brazil and Portugal ==== [[File:Caldo verde.jpg|thumb|''Caldo verde,'' a popular Portuguese soup made with collard greens]] In Portuguese and Brazilian cuisine, collard greens (or ''couve'') are a common accompaniment to fish and meat dishes. They make up a standard side dish for ''feijoada'', a popular pork and beans-style stew.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Celebrate-Brazil-with-Emerils-Feijoada-180951699/ |title=How to Make Feijoada, Brazil's National Dish, Including a Recipe From Emeril Lagasse |first=Shaylyn |last=Esposito |publisher=Smithsonian.com |date=2014-06-13}}</ref> These Brazilian and Portuguese cultivars are likely members of a distinct non-heading cultivar group of ''Brassica oleracea'', specifically the Tronchuda Group.
Thinly-sliced collard greens are also a main ingredient of a popular Portuguese soup, the ''caldo verde'' ("green broth"). For this broth, the leaves are sliced into strips, {{convert|2–3|mm|in|abbr=off|frac=16}} wide (sometimes by a grocer or market vendor using a special hand-cranked slicer) and added to the other ingredients 15 minutes before it is served.
==== Kashmir Valley ====<!--If the foreign terms have a straightforward English translation, such as "leaves", "roots", "soup", etc., please use only the translation--> In Kashmir,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=S. H. |last2=Ahmad |first2=N. |last3=Jabeen |first3=N. |last4=Chattoo |first4=M. A. |last5=Hussain |first5=K. |title=Biodiversity of kale (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''acephala'' L.) in Kashmir Valley |journal=The Asian Journal of Horticulture |date=June 2010 |volume=5 |issue=1 |pages=208–210 |url=http://www.researchjournal.co.in/upload/assignments/5_208-210.pdf |access-date=4 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Mir |first1=Shakir |title=Kashmiri Haakh |url=https://kashmirlife.net/kashmiri-haakh-issue-28-vol-09-153314/ |website=Kashmir Life |access-date=4 April 2020 |date=13 October 2017}}</ref> collard greens (locally called ''haakh'') are included in most meals.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Reshi |first1=Marryam |title=Haakh or Collard Greens |date=3 November 2015 |url=http://marryamhreshii.com/haakh-or-collard-greens/ |access-date=4 April 2020}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Leaves are harvested by pinching in early spring when the dormant buds sprout and give out tender leaves known as ''kaanyil haakh''. When the extending stem bears alternate leaves in quick succession during the growing season, older leaves are harvested periodically. In late autumn, the apical portion of the stem is removed along with the whorled leaves. There are several dishes made with ''haakh''. A common dish eaten with rice is ''haak rus'', a soup of whole collard leaves cooked simply with water, oil, salt, green chilies and spices.
==== Zimbabwe ==== In Zimbabwe, collard greens are known as {{lang|nd|umbhida}} in Ndebele and {{lang|sn|muriwo}} in Shona. Due to the climate, the plant thrives under almost all conditions, with most people growing it in their gardens.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2006-05-25 |title=The "African" vegetable that lifts the weak |url=https://www.thezimbabwean.co/2006/05/the-qafricanq-vegetable-that-lifts-the-weak/ |access-date=2022-05-15 |website=The Zimbabwean |language=en-US}}</ref> It is commonly eaten with sadza (ugali in East Africa, pap in South Africa, fufu in West Africa and polenta in Italy) as part of the staple food.<ref>{{cite web |title=Food in Zimbabwe |url=http://www.foodbycountry.com/Spain-to-Zimbabwe-Cumulative-Index/Zimbabwe.html |publisher=Food by Country}}</ref> {{lang|nd|Umbhida}} is normally wilted in boiling water before being fried and combined with sautéed onions or tomato. Some (more traditionally, the Shona people) add beef, pork and other meat to the {{lang|nd|umbhida}} mix for a type of stew.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 May 2017 |title=Pork Bones Haifiridzi |url=https://www.zimbokitchen.com/pork-bones-haifiridzi/}}</ref> Most people eat {{lang|nd|umbhida}} on a regular basis in Zimbabwe, as it is economical and can be grown with little effort in home gardens.<ref name=":3" />
== In literature == Collard greens are often mentioned in literature from the American South. William Faulkner mentions collard greens as part of a Southern meal in his novel ''Intruder In the Dust''. Walker Percy mentions collard greens in his 1983 short story "The Last Donohue Show". Collards appear in Clyde Edgerton's novel ''Lunch at the Piccadilly''. In the novel ''Gone With the Wind'', hungry protagonist Scarlett O'Hara wistfully remembers a pre-Civil War meal that included "collards swimming richly in pot liquor iridescent with grease."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Edward H. and John T. Morgan |title=Collards: A Southern Tradition from Seed to Table |date=May 30, 2015 |publisher=University of Alabama Press |location=Tuscaloosa |isbn=978-0-8173-1834-5 |pages=6–8 |edition=First |url=https://www.uapress.ua.edu/9780817387655/collards/ |access-date=11 May 2024}}</ref> In Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Stroke of Good Fortune", the main character is an unhappy working-class woman who reluctantly cooks collard greens, which she considers rustic and unrefined, for her brother.{{sfn|Davis|2015|p=20–21}}
== See also == * Collard liquor
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Cookbook|Collard Greens}} *{{Commons category-inline|Brassica oleracea var. viridis|''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''viridis''}}
{{Brassica}} {{Brassica oleracea}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q14879985}}
Category:Brassica oleracea Category:Leaf vegetables