When does cabbage bloom?

Cabbage is grown mainly as a leafy vegetable, but if left in the ground it bolts in its second year and produces small yellow flowers on tall stalks, usually in spring.

What pollinators visit cabbage flowers?

When cabbage is allowed to flower, bees and beetles are the most common visitors to its small yellow blooms.

How much sun and water does cabbage need?

Cabbage grows best in full sun with consistent, medium to high soil moisture, and it struggles in prolonged dry spells.

Is Cabbage HOA-friendly?

Cabbage takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Cabbage

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Brassica oleracea

Last reviewed: August 2026

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is a biennial forb. The flowers draw bees and beetles.

Toxicity unknown

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

full sun

Water

medium

Size

12"–24" H × 12"–24" W

Bloom

N/A

Pollinators

bees, beetles

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Cabbage is a cultivated vegetable crop that forms large, rounded heads of tightly packed leaves. This cool-season plant grows as a compact, structured rosette that requires regular care and harvest timing.

Growing Cabbage

Grow Cabbage in full sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 12 to 24 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect moderate maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Cabbage takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: moderate. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Clearly appears as vegetable crop rather than ornamental landscaping
May violate HOA restrictions on front yard food gardens
Requires harvest timing that conflicts with permanent landscaping expectations

Wildlife value

When allowed to flower in its second year, cabbage attracts bees and beetles. However, it's typically harvested before blooming as a food crop.

Common questions

When does cabbage bloom?: Cabbage is grown mainly as a leafy vegetable, but if left in the ground it bolts in its second year and produces small yellow flowers on tall stalks, usually in spring.
What pollinators visit cabbage flowers?: When cabbage is allowed to flower, bees and beetles are the most common visitors to its small yellow blooms.
How much sun and water does cabbage need?: Cabbage grows best in full sun with consistent, medium to high soil moisture, and it struggles in prolonged dry spells.
Is Cabbage HOA-friendly?: Cabbage takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

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