25 Perennial Vegetables You Can Feast On for Years to Come

Perennial vegetables, much like perennial herbs, are plants that grow for at least three years after planting. That means you can tuck a seed into soil and harvest from the plant for several growing seasons. With some perennial vegetable plants, the harvest keeps coming for over 50 years, saving you time and money as you skip planting annually. Once established, perennial vegetable plants sprout earlier in spring and also store more carbon in the ground.

In general, perennial vegetables are pretty easy-growing, needing just minor maintenance to thrive. When adding perennial vegetables to your garden, make sure the plant is hardy for your growing region. Choose your planting spot carefully, since perennial vegetable plants stay in place for many years.

What vegetables are perennials? The list includes some familiar faces, such as rhubarb, but there are many less common perennial vegetable plants that can easily stand in for traditional vegetables in the kitchen, like this Homesteader’s Kaleidoscopic Perennial Kale. Winter hardy to Zone 6, this kale yields tasty leaves for multiple seasons, even after flowering. Woody stem cuttings also root readily, making it easy to keep your crop growing over time.

Keep reading to discover 25 perennial vegetables—and make room for some in your garden.

Asparagus
Maybe one of the most well-known perennial vegetables, asparagus is hardy in Zones 3-8. A healthy asparagus patch yields for decades, which is why choosing the right growing location is key. Like many perennial vegetable plants, asparagus needs specific conditions to thrive. Study and create these conditions for greatest success. Prepare your planting bed in fall for planting asparagus roots in spring.

As asparagus plants become established, the harvest window increases over time: a week the first year after planting, three to four weeks the second year, and six to eight weeks for older patches. To harvest asparagus, cut or snap stems at soil level. Store stems for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, wrapping a bunch in dry paper towels tucked into a vegetable storage bag. Cradle a barely damp napkin around cut stem ends for longest storage. When harvest season ends, allow stems to grow into tall ferns.

Also known as a multiplier onion, this perennial onion (Allium cepa var. aggregatum; Zones 4-8) used to be standard fare in North American gardens, likely disappearing to make room for varieties adapted to mechanical harvesting. Potato onions form slightly smaller bulbs that store well for up to a year. This particular potato onion seed mix offers a variety of bulbs in different sizes and colors.

Like other onions, harvest toward late summer when plants fall over. Eat the largest bulbs, saving the smaller ones for planting next year. When planted, small bulbs yield a single large bulb, while planting large bulbs usually produces many small bulbs.

Tart, possibly brilliant red stems and oversize leaves make rhubarb a stand-out in the garden, pretty enough to earn a spot in a flower bed. Rhubarb is hardy in Zones 2-8 and grows best in full sun with rich, well-drained soil. Add ample organic matter to soil prior to planting. When establishing a new rhubarb patch, older farmers recommend burying cow manure in the proposed planting spot, letting it compost in place over winter. Plant rhubarb plants or roots in spring.

Harvest rhubarb by twisting and pulling stems free. Stems are the edible portion; add leaves to the compost pile, cutting them up into smaller pieces for faster decomposition. Always remove flower stalks as they form. A mature rhubarb plant often measures 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. The tart stems are a terrific addition to pies and cobblers and also make a yummy jam. Or cook them down for a chilled sauce, which delivers a refreshing bite on sultry summer nights.

True perennial vegetable plants return from the root each year, but other vegetables can behave like perennials, such as this open-pollinated ‘Red Sails’ leaf lettuce. A true annual, if allowed to flower and set seed, ‘Red Sails’ lettuce will return in your garden the next growing season. This self-sowing behavior means lettuce sprouts on its own each year (you don’t have to plant it), even though it’s not a true perennial vegetable. Other vegetables, such as garlic or potatoes, grow easily from some part of the plant that you save, so many gardeners refer to them as perennial vegetables, too.

Due to its tropical nature, sweet potato is only truly perennial in Zones 9-11. In other zones, it’s grown as an annual. But you can start next year’s crop by using some of this year’s harvest to sprout cuttings (known as slips) that root almost overnight in water. Once you have a successful sweet potato crop, you can grow them indefinitely.

Sweet potatoes need warmth—plants wilt when temperatures fall below 50°F. Wait to plant until soil is genuinely warm. That means early June in Zones 5 and colder. Tubers need 90 to 120 days to reach maturity. The longer they’re in the ground, the bigger the potatoes can grow. Serve sweet potatoes raw in slaw or salads, or let them star as a side dish—roasted, baked, mashed or fried.

For perpetual greens, try growing Caucasian spinach (Hablitzia tamnoides). This vining plant is hardy to Zone 3 and thrives in well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Plants are slow to establish, but once they are, you can count on harvesting for 50 years from the 10-foot vines. Pick shoots in spring like asparagus, and harvest leaves through the growing season for nutritious greens that taste great tossed in salads, layered on sandwiches or cooked like traditional spinach.

Artichokes are a type of thistle native to the Mediterranean region, where long, warm days and well-drained soil coax great harvests from plants. Hardy in Zones 7-11, expect a yield of two to eight buds per artichoke plant, which usually grow 3 to 6 feet tall and wide. Give these plants ample elbow room to reach their potential.

Once flower buds appear on stalks that soar above spiny leaves, watch them closely, cutting them while the bud is still tight but right before outer bracts star to open. It’s easy to miss that just-right harvest window. If you do, buds open to reveal large purple flowers. It’s better to remove buds before they open to flowers if you intend to continue harvesting artichokes from a plant. In the kitchen, savor artichokes on their own as a sumptuous side, or use the hearts in everything from salads, to sandwiches, to frittatas.

Not a true garlic, elephant garlic (Zones 3-9) forms cloves like garlic. The oversize cloves deliver a mellow, sweet garlic flavor that’s not overpowering. Well-drained soil with plenty of sun is the key to growing the biggest elephant garlic, along with fall planting. Two weeks before the first fall frost is the ideal planting time. Mulch soil after planting with a few inches of straw. Cloves will develop roots and grow until the ground is frozen in coldest zones. Green shoots appear in spring, followed by a midsummer harvest.

Unlike a true perennial vegetable, elephant garlic only returns when you plant cloves from this year’s harvest for next year’s crop. The biggest cloves yield the biggest bulbs. Properly cured bulbs store for six to eight months. Use elephant garlic interchangeably with garlic in recipes. It’s a less pungent choice for roasting whole bulbs.

Beautiful and edible, red veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus) is also known as bloody dock. The eye-catching leaves deliver a tender bite with a lemony flavor burst. The plant is winter hardy to Zone 4, returning year after year to offer tender leaves for fresh eating or cooking. As with many perennial vegetables, it’s a good idea to limit harvests the first year of planting to let the plant develop a sturdy root system. Remove flower stalks that form, although in the first year you can harvest leaves on that stalk for eating.

By midsummer, cut the plant back to 1 to 2 inches above the soil to coax a fresh crop of young, tender leaves. The plant will be lush and full again in about a month. Plants thrive in full sun to part shade. Red veined sorrel is a foodie favorite, with leaves used raw or cooked. For recipes calling for lemon juice, experiment with letting sorrel replace that ingredient.

Perennial in Zones 5 to 11, wild rocket or roquette is a wild perennial arugula (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) that’s easy to grow in a sunny to part shade spot with good drainage. Cut plants back as flower stems form to perpetuate a crop of fresh young leaves. Plants can be a short-lived perennial, returning from the root for several years and then dying off. Allowing flowers to set seed at some point during the growing season ensures you’ll have new plants for years to come.

Pollinators love the bright yellow blooms, which are also edible and make a stunning addition to salads. The leaves unfurl a flavor profile more complex than arugula, serving a burst of mustardy, peppery flavor that goes beautifully with salads, sandwiches and soups. Harvest young leaves for a milder bite. Once plants flower, leaves tend to become smaller with a stronger taste.

Broccoli raab, also known as rapini, might resemble broccoli, but it’s actually related to a turnip. This vitamin-rich vegetable is one of the earliest vegetables to grow in spring, yielding delicious harvests of leaves and stems, which are known as raabs. To start a patch, sow seeds in early spring, sowing more every 10 days for a continuous crop. Seeds sown in late summer produce a fall crop.

Harvest stems with leaves when they’re 4 to 8 inches tall and flower buds are still tight. Continue to cut every three to six days for a month-long harvest window. At that point, let the plants flower and set seed, which should self-sow to create a self-sustaining broccoli raab patch. In the kitchen, use this broccoli lookalike in serambled eggs, sautéed, roasted with garlic or in stir fries. Leaves make a terrific sandwich topper or salad player.

This pretty perennial offers a mild garlic flavor in both leaves and flowers. Garlic chives are a perennial herb, but make a nice addition to a vegetable garden. The globe-shaped blooms beckon pollinators by the dozen. Snip flower stems immediately after blooming to keep plants from spreading prolifically. If left to set seed, garlic chives can be invasive. Plants are hardy in Zones 3-9.

Harvest and use leaves like onion-flavored chives, chopping leaves or adding flowers to a dish. Also known as Chinese chives, garlic chives are a favorite in Korean food, stir fries and soups.

A member of the carrot family, skirret or sugar root (Sium sisarum) is native to China, where its roots are prized for winter eating. The roots taste like a cross between carrot, potato and parsnip. Leaves are edible at any stage, offering a parsley or celery flavor. Hardy in Zones 4-9, plants grow best in full sun with a mulch layer to help moderate soil temperature.

For best results, harvest roots the second year after planting, waiting until after tops have died back from frost for best flavor. Take the largest roots to the kitchen, and replant small offsets that have formed beside the main clump. Continue to harvest all winter long. To keep soil from freezing in coldest zones, heap on straw or other mulch so you can dig roots through the coldest months. To prepare skirret, roast, boil or stew, or grate it into salads or soups.

Another flavorful root crop, horseradish (Amoracia rusticana) is renowned for its spicy, sinus-clearing heat. In the garden, it’s known for two things: being easy to grow and spreading. It’s a terrific perennial vegetable, hardy in Zones 3-9. Start with site selection, choosing a spot where, if it starts to spread, it won’t wreck your garden. Take time to work some shovels of compost or rotted manure into soil before planting. You could even use fresh manure if do this the fall prior to spring planting.

Full sun and deep, rich soil is all horseradish needs to produce 2- to 3-foot-tall leaves and tasty roots. If plants send up flowering shoots, clip them to direct all energy toward root growth. To avoid rapid spreading, do not let flowers set seeds. Roots are ready to harvest the first year after planting. Dig them after frost kills the tops. In warmer regions, wait until December to harvest.

Also known as French Scorzonera or common brighteyes, perennial sweet lettuce (Reichardia picroides) stands in as a good lettuce substitute that’s heat and cold tolerant, winter hardy in Zones 7-10. It’s a go-to green during summer heat when other lettuces have bolted and become bitter. Slugs seem to avoid this lettuce, so if that’s a pest you battle for traditional lettuce, add this one to your planting roster.

Plants tend to bloom all summer, unfurling edible flowers that beckon pollinators like crazy. Let a few plants go to seed in colder zones, and you’ll likely be rewarded with self-sown seedlings in spring. Harvest leaves and flowers through the growing season to use in salads, sandwiches or soups.

Shallots, including red ones, are a type of multiplier onion. They’re typically grown as annuals, but can be grown as perennials, much like garlic. Fall planting, followed by spring and summer growth, harvest, curing and storage, provides you with another crop of bulbs for fall sowing. Typically one red shallot bulb forms four to 12 baby bulbs in a bunch that’s held together at the base by a membrane. Each bulb is often split into two cloves that sometimes share a common wrapper.

Red shallots prefer well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Winter rot is a problem in poorly drained soils. Plant shallots shallowly with their tops just under or level with soil. Mulch well with a few inches of straw, adding more as temperatures tumble in late fall. The following summer, harvest shallots when about the half the leaves are dry and dead.

Shallots have soft necks, making them easy to braid for storage. Expect cured shallots to store for up to four months. In the kitchen, shallots bring a flavor between onion and garlic, but with a hint of garlic. Use them in pan sauces, marinades or salad dressings, or any way you would use an onion. The milder flavor lends a versatility that doesn’t overpower other ingredients.

This perennial vegetable plant brings the goods in triplicate, with edible leaves, flowers and roots. Black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica) is also called oyster plant and is hardy in Zones 5-9. The first year of growth, harvest leaves lightly for adding to salads or soups. Roots are ready for digging in fall after an early spring planting, or you can let them overwinter to grow larger. Plants flower in the second year of growth.

Black salsify produces gnarled, deep roots perfect for breaking up heavy soils. Clean and peel roots before eating to remove the bitter skin. Steam sliced roots and pan sear for a tasty side. Black salsify roots taste like new potatoes but with the tender smoothness of a sweet potato. Sub it for potatoes in recipes.

This green herb is prized for its bright, crunchy leaves that make a perfect addition to salads and sandwiches. In its native state, watercress (Nasturtium officinale) thrives near running water. To meet these needs in the garden, plan to water plants daily, or tuck seeds into pots with saucers, where you change saucer water every day or two. Or place the pots or plant near a hose where occasional splashes will provide the necessary wet footing.

Plants are hardy in Zones 5 to 11 and grow by forming rosettes of leaves. Youngest leaves offer the best flavor. Watercress regrows readily after cutting, so harvest often to encourage flushes of new growth. Flower formation shifts the leaf flavor to bitter, so snip plants regularly to keep fresh growth forming.

This rare winter leek (Allium porrum) hails from The Netherlands. As the name suggests, Delft Perpetual leek provides a steady presence—and harvest—in the garden. Hardy in Zones 5-10, this leek produces offsets or new plants from the base of existing plants. If left to grow, these offsets form full size leeks the following year.

To harvest, cut stems carefully just above soil level, allowing the stem base to remain in soil so roots can nourish the offset plants. Use leeks interchangeably in recipes for onions. Green tops are edible and hold their own in soups, quiche and stocks. Julienne them for garnish or soup topping, or sautee and serve with fish or mixed into mashed potatoes. Blend into butter or chevre for an oniony spread.

Grow a beanstalk worthy of a fairy tale—a tale of food, that is. Beautiful scarlet runner bean vines soar to 12 feet, unfurling eye-catching red blooms. The bright blossoms linger for just a day, beckoning hummingbirds and bees. The vines are winter hardy in Zones 7-11, but have been reported to survive in colder areas with a thick winter mulch and sunny southern exposure. Vines die to the ground in all but the warmest regions. In the garden, count on scarlet runner bean in an area where you need summer shade but sun in winter.

The scarlet blooms are edible, as are young bean pods. Even so, the skins are tougher than traditional green beans, which turns off many diners. If left to mature, the foot-long pods contain beans that can be eaten fresh like limas or dried. The plant root is starchy and similar in texture and preparation to taro.

This perennial onion multiplies by forming small onions, called bulbils, on top of stems. Known as topsets, these small bulbils grow, eventually weighing down the stem, which touches the ground, allowing the topsets to root into soil. This is how the Egyptian walking onion (Allium x proliferum) gets its name—and how it “walks” through the garden.

Plants are hardy in Zones 3-10 and are treated much like garlic with fall planting, winter mulch, and spring and summer growth. Topsets mature in late summer and can be planted to perpetuate the crop. To harvest larger in-ground bulbs, remove topsets when they form.

One plant typically forms up to six onions, with the clump enlarging each winter it’s left in the ground. When you harvest, leave some bulbs in the ground to continue to crop, or plant the biggest bulbils. Egyptian walking onion has a flavor like a shallot but spicier and more pungent. Use it in food prep when you want a milder onion taste.

This perennial chard (Beta vulgaris) is a gnarly, long-lived beet leaf mix developed in Zone 5 Ottawa, Canada. Plants live two to three or more years, yielding tasty leaves for greens lovers. As plants hit their second and following years, they’ll try to bloom. Remove flower stalks to prevent that, or let a few open to savor the chocolate-scented blossoms. Gardeners report that plants typically continue to live and produce leafy greens even if they’re allowed to flower.

Plants grow large, so space them 2 to 3 feet apart. Consider growing a quick crop of radishes or leaf lettuce between plants while they’re young. Harvest leaves at any stage for greens. Young leaves offer the most tender bite for fresh eating; older leaves are best cooked.

A staple in salsa and Mexican cuisine, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is an herb that’s grown as an annual in most gardens. Plants tend to bolt (flower) as soon as summer heat arrives, quickly ending the harvest. But this flavorful herb can be coaxed into making a regular and longer appearance in your garden through simple growing tricks. Sow seeds every few weeks until midsummer to ensure a longer harvest season. Plant more seeds in late summer for a fall crop, especially in milder regions.

Cilantro is hardy in Zones 8-11, where plants overwinter. In other regions, allow a few plants to set seed and self-sow, and you’ll be rewarded with a crop the following year. Harvest leaves for use in salads, salsas, tacos and Asian fare. Mature dry seeds are coriander. Gather a few to replenish your spice cabinet.