Collard greens are rich in the antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and may help reduce your risk of developing certain cancers. Dark, leafy greens, like collard greens, are the best natural sources of folate.

Collards are members of the cabbage family (Brassica oleracea), and a staple side dish in Southern cooking. They feature dark green leaves and tough stems that need to be removed before eating. The flavor of collards is a cross between cabbage and hearty kale, similar to Swiss chard.

Collard greens, or collards, are a leafy green vegetable like lettuce, Swiss chard, and spinach. Along with mustard greens, turnips, and cabbage, collards belong to the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables, which are known for their nutritional and health-protective benefits.

Collards have dark green, fanlike leaves with tough stems. They're a member of the same group of plants that includes kale, turnips, and mustard greens.

Did you know?

• Collard greens can be purchased year round but they are tastier and more nutritious in the cold months, especially January through April.
• Collard greens are the oldest leafy green within the cabbage family dating back 2000 years, originally grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Collard greens are also known as "non-heading cabbage" or "tree-cabbage" due to cabbage-like leaves that resemble a crown on top of the stem after removal of the leaves (after few harvests) from the bottom part of the stem. Collard greens are a staple vegetable in Southern U.S. cuisine.

Collard greens date back to prehistoric time and one of the oldest member of the cabbage family. What some of you may not know is that Collard greens is also known as the tree cabbage. Some may think that Collard greens originated in Africa but they were originated in Eastern Mediterranean.

Collard greens are native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, but the plants are easily grown in most U.S. climates. Like kale, collards are a member of the cabbage family but do not form heads.

Greece Collard greens originated near Greece, but it wasn't until the first Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in the early 1600's that America got its first taste of the delicious dark green vegetable.

The Heirloom Collard Project has listed out all of the collard varieties available through Seed Savers Exchange - 70 varieties total, including names like Drusilla Delone, Miss Annie Pearl Counselman and Old Timey Blue (as well as other Old Timey varieties). The USDA collection of collard seeds has even more varieties.

Fun Facts about Collard Greens: The name collard is derived from the Middle English word colewort, which means “cabbage plant.” (At last, the mystery behind “coleslaw” is solved!)

Collard greens date back to prehistoric time and one of the oldest member of the cabbage family. What some of you may not know is that Collard greens is also known as the tree cabbage. Some may think that Collard greens originated in Africa but they were originated in Eastern Mediterranean.