Perennial Vegetables: Plant Once and Harvest for Years

The desert is one of the most challenging climates for gardening. Angela Judd of GrowingInTheGarden.com lives in the low desert in Arizona, USA, where she works with hot, dry summers and cold winters. “A perennial is a plant that lives out its life cycle over three years or more. It will survive both winter and summer. And you harvest in a way that doesn’t kill the plant. An artichoke plant can live about five years, and during that time, it’s going to grow large, produce lots of artichokes, and then be cut back at the beginning of each summer. And when it starts to cool off again in the fall, they start growing again. Peppers are often grown as annuals in cooler climates, but here in the low desert, they survive for years as long as you cover them if we get a frost.”

Next, we’ll meet James Prigioni from New Jersey, USA. In his region, the cold winters cause many types of plants to die out, but James is extremely excited about the perennials that he can grow! “The first perennial that will feed you for life is asparagus. This is the first perennial spring crop that I harvest.”

Becoming a Farm Girl is a YouTube channel devoted to vertical gardening where enormous amounts of food are grown in planters on a deck. “Here’s a look at my leaf herb planter, sprinkled with colorful marigolds and snapdragons, and a number of perennial herbs that come back each year, like lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, and thyme. I’ve also added other culinary favorites like stevia, dill, onions, and medicinal herbs like chamomile and calendula.”

In Perth, Australia, Holly Noakes, creator of the “Sustainable Holly” YouTube Channel, has found that growing perennial vegetables in her garden ensures she has food year-round. “My favorite, the ultimate in my garden, is the sweet potato. Sweet potato has so many uses in the garden. And that is why it is my number one plant – pretty much on all my lists but especially this perennials list, because it has so many uses within the garden, and also in the kitchen.”

“Must-grow crop for Florida would be what Rob would like to call yucca, or cassava, or Manihot. Favorite perennial vegetable to grow down here is sissoo spinach or Miami spinach.”

We hope you’ve been inspired to plant some perennials that will thrive in your area. Sweet potatoes and asparagus seem to be the most versatile, thriving nearly anywhere.