9 Perennial Crops That Provide Food Early in the Season

Planting a garden is a wonderful thing with such delicious rewards. However, what many gardeners overlook is including perennial crops in their veggie plots. Instead, the focus remains on classics like green beans, summer squash, cucumbers, and so on. That means there is a great void in what the garden could be producing.

Perennial crops are advantageous in numerous ways. First things first, because they are perennial, once they are growing they provide harvests for years without being planted again. The longevity of perennials also means they tend to be less demanding on the soil and help with the overall ecosystem in the garden.

Mostly, though, there are a lot of tasty perennial plants to add to the mix. Even better, they usually pop earlier than those annual crops can be planted, so there is fresh food early in the season. So, why not try planting a few of these:

Asparagus

No need to introduce asparagus to folks. It’s already a beloved vegetable to many. But, it’s also one not as regularly seen in gardens. Asparagus is a great perennial to grow. After a couple of years, it provides harvests for about six weeks every spring. It’s perfect for adding to tofu scrambles or pasta. The plant produces for about 20 years.

Rhubarb

One of the more unique flavors out there, rhubarb stems have a delightfully sour taste that works wonderfully in crumbles, jams, and chutneys. The plant has very attractive (and toxic) large leaves that make it fit comfortably in ornamental gardens. Like asparagus, it’s important to give the rhubarb a year or two to establish itself before harvesting from it.

Strawberries

For some reason, lots of gardeners fear strawberries as something challenging to grow. They aren’t. They tend to spread so readily that they usually need frequent thinning out which means that more strawberries can be planted elsewhere. The important thing with strawberries is to cut the new sprouts free from the mother plant so that they have more years of production.

Garlic (Scapes)

Garlic is a great perennial plant to put along the edges of the garden bed. They are great for repelling lots of troublesome insects and attracting beneficial ones. Left alone, the garlic will sprout anew each year, with each clove creating a new plant. They can also be harvested and replanted right away in the late summer. But, it’s garlic scapes—the flower’s stem—that make for a great early-season crop. They have a garlic flavor and a tender texture like asparagus.

Horseradish

Due to its permanent and withstanding nature, horseradish might not be a good perennial to put in a shared garden bed, but it is great for planting in the understory of fruit trees or cane berries. Though it is most popular for its root and horseradish sauce, the greens of horseradish are reminiscent but less intense in flavor and provide a perfect early crop with virtually no maintenance.

Ostrich Ferns (Fiddleheads)

Ideal for those with shady spots to fill, ostrich ferns are the crème de la crème of edible fern fiddleheads. As plants, they are great because they’ll grow in the shade where most plants won’t. As vegetables, they are another early-season specialty item that can make spring seem so bountiful. They are often compared to asparagus and should be prepared similarly.

Lovage

For those of us who have no luck with growing celery, lovage can be a lifesaver. It has a very similar flavor and texture but grows much more agreeable. Plus, it’s a perennial and gets huge, i.e. provides lots of food. Lovage pops up in early spring, about the time rhubarb, asparagus, and garlic are hitting their strides. It’s good for flavor soups and so on.

Turkish Rocket/Wild Arugula

Arugula is a favorite salad green for lots of folks. It has a wonderfully nutty flavor and a punchy spice that attracts many. Arugula is also an unsung pizza topping, adding fresh atop slices. Many gardeners aren’t familiar with the perennial version of arugula known as Turkish rocket or wild arugula. It’s a great addition to garden beds because it doesn’t demand a lot of space and does okay in a touch of shade.

Daylilies

A fun and tasty vegetable, common daylilies (Hemerocallis fulva) fits right into the ornamental garden and provides interesting and beautiful vegetables for those interested. The flowers, flower buds, stalks, and tubers are all edible. True (edible) daylilies don’t have bulbs but rather fingerling-like tubers. Those tubers and the flower buds are the real quality pull from these plants.

While the article must stop here (word counts are a real thing!), the list just doesn’t stop. There are more perennials to look into. If this list seems interesting, check out chicory, chives, dandelions, ramps, good king henry, and sorrel as other perennial crop options.

Related Content:

• 8 Reasons to Grow and Love Perennial Plants
• 10 Perennial Vegetables for the Permaculture Garden
• 10 Perennial Food Plants for Containers in a Sunny Window
• 8 Perennial Plants for Your Veggie Garden That Will Provide Years of Fresh Food!
• Growing Your Own Perennial Culinary Herb Garden at Home

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade repeatedly.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!