Crambe cordifolia
Encyclopedia
Crambe cordifolia, syn. Crambe glabrata DC., a colewort sometimes called Heartleaf crambe, is an ornamental plant
native to the Caucasus
. It is in the brassicaceae
plant family and thus related to cabbage
; the leaves emit a distinctive cabbagy odour when bruised. It is widely cultivated in gardens for its spectacular multi-branched inflorescence
of many small, white, cruciform (cross-shaped) flowers, reaching up to 2 metres high and appearing in early summer.
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
native to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. It is in the brassicaceae
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
plant family and thus related to cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
; the leaves emit a distinctive cabbagy odour when bruised. It is widely cultivated in gardens for its spectacular multi-branched inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
of many small, white, cruciform (cross-shaped) flowers, reaching up to 2 metres high and appearing in early summer.