What Vegetables are Perennials? A Beginner’s Guide

What Vegetables Are Perennials? A Beginner’s Guide

If you’re tired of replanting your garden every year, there’s an easier way to live: using perennial vegetables! Unlike the annual vegetables you replant each season, perennials come back year after year with very little work on your end. Once you plant them, they pretty much take care of themselves. Sound like something you’d want in your garden? Let’s look at what perennial vegetables are and why you’ll want to make space for them in your garden:

So, What Are Perennial Vegetables?

Perennial vegetables keep producing every season without you having to replant. While you have to plant your annual vegetables every spring, perennial crops just wake up and start growing again. You might even forget you planted them until they start popping up!

Perennial vegetables thrive in all kinds of climates and soil types, which means they’ll likely do well in your garden. Plus, they help build up organic matter and attract beneficial insects, which boosts your garden’s overall health.

Why Grow Perennial Vegetables?

If you’re new to gardening, perennial vegetables are a great way to make your life easier. No replanting every year. No starting from scratch. You put in the work once, and they reward you for years. Not to mention, they improve your soil and make your garden more sustainable. Perennial crops help with things like water retention, preventing soil erosion, and even enriching your soil’s nutrients.

Plus, for those of you who live in cooler climates or have limited space, these hardy vegetables still produce. So if you want to create a low-maintenance, long-lasting garden, perennial vegetables are your new best friends.

10 Best Perennial Vegetables (And Why You’ll Love Them Too!)

Here’s a list of perennial vegetables that you’ll definitely want to consider.

1. Jerusalem Artichokes

Also known as sunchokes, these plants are a staple in colder climates. They’re actually native to the eastern U.S.! They’re super easy to grow and produce tasty tubers you can use in soups, salads, or just roast up for a side dish. They love partial shade and well-drained soil. Plus, they’re pretty tall, so they’re less likely to get lost in the weeds.

2. Good King Henry

I know, the name sounds fancy, but Good King Henry is a simple, low-maintenance vegetable that’s perfect for beginners. Its leaves taste like spinach and you can harvest them every year. Just plant it in cooler climates and give it a little bit of shade.

3. Tree Collards

Collard greens are a garden favorite, but tree collards take it up a notch. They grow like small trees and just keep going. You don’t need much space, and once they’re established, they handle a variety of soil conditions. In warmer climates, they keep going year-round, while colder regions will see them pop back up in the spring.

4. Sea Kale

If you love a plant that does double duty, sea kale is for you. It gives you edible leaves and flower buds! This coastal vegetable thrives in sandy soil and handles cooler climates like a champ.

5. Egyptian Walking Onions

Here’s one you won’t forget—Egyptian walking onions. These quirky little onions “walk” by growing small bulbs at the top of the plant that eventually fall and replant themselves. So, they’re not just perennial—they also take care of their own reproduction! If you’ve got a small-space garden, these onions are the perfect fit. Plant once, and you’ll have onions forever.

6. French Sorrel

French sorrel is a perennial herb with lemony, tangy leaves that’ll brighten up any salad. It grows in partial shade and works in just about any soil. You can harvest sorrel for years, and it starts producing in early spring, so you’ll have fresh greens before you know it.

7. Ostrich Fern

Now this one’s a bit of an oddball. Ostrich fern doesn’t look like a vegetable, but its fiddleheads are edible and oh-so-delicious. They grow in cooler climates and thrive in moist, shady spots. So if you’ve got a damp corner in your yard, throw in an ostrich fern, and you’ll get food from it every year!

8. Ramps/Wild Leeks

If you live near the woods in many parts of the eastern U.S., you may already have these! (Here are tips for finding and harvesting them if you do!) Wild leeks (also known as ramps) grow in shady areas and are perfect for cooler climates. If you don’t have them in the wild, you can start some in your garden. Keep in mind that they take a few years to get established, but once they’re going, they return every spring with that unique onion-garlic flavor that chefs love. Plant these once and keep them in the right conditions, and you’ll feel like a pro gardener when they pop up each year.

9. Asparagus

Asparagus is a classic perennial vegetable. Yes, it takes a few years to really get going, but after that, it rewards you with fresh, homegrown asparagus every spring. It needs a sunny spot and well-drained soil, but it’s well worth the wait.

10. Rhubarb

Yep, rhubarb counts as a vegetable, even though you’ll often find it in pies, jams, and more. This perennial thrives in cooler climates and doesn’t need much attention. Just give it some sun and good soil drainage, and you’ll have tart, tasty stalks year after year.

How to Get Started with Perennial Vegetables

Adding perennials to your garden isn’t complicated, but you’ll want to plan a little. Pay attention to your local climate and soil conditions. Some of these vegetables, like tree collards, prefer warmer areas, while others, like wild leeks and Good King Henry, love the cool, shady spots.

Most perennial vegetables need a bit of care in their first year, including fertilizing and plenty of weeding, but after that, they’re pretty much on autopilot, although you should still try to keep their area as weed-free as possible. Make sure you give them well-drained soil and a sunny or partially shady spot depending on their needs. Then, let them do their thing. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to grow your own food year after year.

Enjoy Your Perennials!

Perennial vegetables take the guesswork out of gardening. You plant them once, and they keep showing up each year like clockwork. If you’re looking to reduce your workload and still enjoy fresh, homegrown food, these plants are the way to go. They improve your soil, keep your garden going, and even attract beneficial insects that help with pest control. You really can’t go wrong.

Interested in growing more? Check out the full guide to the best vegetables for beginners.