This guide will highlight 10 perennial vegetables you should plant this summer for a harvest that lasts forever.

What Are Perennial Vegetables?

Unlike annual vegetables, which complete their life cycle in one season, perennial vegetables regrow year after year.

With proper care, these plants will provide you with fresh produce for many seasons, making them an excellent investment for your garden.

Benefits of Perennial Vegetables:

1. Low Maintenance: Once established, they require less watering, weeding, and fertilizing.
2. Eco-Friendly: Reduce soil disturbance and improve soil health.
3. Cost-Effective: Plant once and enjoy continuous harvests.
4. Resilient: Many perennials are hardy and resistant to pests and diseases.

10 Perennial Vegetables to Plant This Summer

1. Asparagus

• Why You Should Grow It: Asparagus is a nutrient-packed vegetable with a distinct flavor. It’s one of the first crops to emerge in spring, providing an early harvest.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant crowns in well-draining soil with full sun exposure.
  • Avoid harvesting during the first two years to let the plants establish.
  • With proper care, asparagus can produce for 15–20 years.

2. Rhubarb

• Why You Should Grow It: Known for its tart stalks, rhubarb is perfect for pies, jams, and sauces. It’s a hardy perennial that thrives with minimal care.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in fertile, well-draining soil in a sunny or partially shaded spot.
  • Harvest stalks in spring and early summer, avoiding the leaves (which are toxic).
  • Divide plants every 5–7 years for better yields.

3. Artichoke

• Why You Should Grow It: Artichokes are not only delicious but also add ornamental beauty to your garden with their striking foliage and blooms.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in full sun with rich, well-draining soil.
  • Mulch around the base to retain moisture.
  • Cut back the plant after the growing season to encourage regrowth.

4. Sorrel

• Why You Should Grow It: Sorrel is a leafy green with a tangy, lemon-like flavor, perfect for soups, salads, and sauces.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in partial sun with moist, well-draining soil.
  • Harvest leaves regularly to encourage new growth.
  • Sorrel is incredibly hardy and can thrive even in poor soil.

5. Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke)

• Why You Should Grow It: These tubers taste like a cross between potatoes and artichokes. They’re packed with fiber and nutrients.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in full sun with loose, well-draining soil.
  • Harvest the tubers in late fall or early winter.
  • Be mindful: Jerusalem artichokes spread rapidly, so plant them in a controlled space.

6. Perennial Kale

• Why You Should Grow It: Unlike traditional kale, perennial kale continues producing leaves year-round, making it an excellent leafy green to grow.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in a sunny spot with fertile, well-draining soil.
  • Harvest leaves regularly to encourage new growth.
  • Perennial kale is frost-hardy and drought-tolerant.

7. Horseradish

• Why You Should Grow It: Horseradish is a pungent root vegetable used to spice up sauces, dressings, and condiments.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in full sun with loose, well-draining soil.
  • Harvest roots in late fall for the best flavor.
  • Horseradish spreads quickly, so plant it in a designated area.

8. Walking Onions (Egyptian Onions)

• Why You Should Grow It: Walking onions are unique perennials that produce bulbs and sets year after year.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in full sun with well-draining soil.
  • Harvest the green tops in spring and the small bulbs in summer.
  • The plant “walks” by dropping bulbs that grow into new plants.

9. Lovage

• Why You Should Grow It: Lovage has a celery-like flavor and is a versatile herb for soups, stews, and salads.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in fertile soil with full to partial sun.
  • Harvest leaves, stalks, and seeds for culinary use.
  • Cut back the plant in fall to encourage spring regrowth.

10. Good King Henry

• Why You Should Grow It: Known as a “forgotten vegetable,” Good King Henry is a nutritious green similar to spinach, with edible shoots and flowers.
• Growing Tips:
  • Plant in well-draining soil with partial shade.
  • Harvest young leaves and shoots for the best flavor.
  • It thrives in neglected corners of the garden.

How to Care for Perennial Vegetables

While perennial vegetables are low-maintenance, a little care goes a long way:

1. Watering: Water deeply during the first year to establish strong roots. Mature plants are more drought-tolerant.
2. Mulching: Mulch around plants to retain moisture, regulate temperature, and suppress weeds.
3. Fertilizing: Apply compost or organic fertilizer in spring to boost growth.
4. Dividing: Some perennials, like rhubarb, benefit from occasional dividing to maintain productivity.
5. Pruning: Remove dead or damaged foliage to encourage healthy growth.

Benefits of Growing Perennial Vegetables

1. Time-Saving: Eliminate the need to replant every year.
2. Sustainability: Reduce soil disturbance and build a healthier ecosystem.
3. Biodiversity: Create a garden with a mix of annuals and perennials to support pollinators and beneficial insects.
4. Year-Round Availability: Some perennials can be harvested in different seasons, ensuring a steady supply of fresh produce.

Adding perennial vegetables to your garden is a smart, sustainable, and rewarding choice. These plants require less work than annuals while providing abundant harvests for years.