Perennial Vegetables for Irish Gardens: 12 to Plant Once and Harvest for Years
Perennial vegetables are crops you plant once and harvest for years, with no yearly sowing, less digging and fewer failures in a wet Irish spring. The most reliable for Irish and UK gardens are perennial kale, sea beet, asparagus, rhubarb, globe and Jerusalem artichokes, skirret and walking onions. This guide covers the 12 best, what each gives you, and how to plan a perennial vegetable bed.
Short on time? If you only try one, make it Taunton Deane perennial kale. It gives greens almost all year, rarely bolts, and one plant can crop for five years or more.
Why Grow Perennial Vegetables?
Less work: no yearly sowing, pricking out or transplanting
Earlier harvests: established roots push out shoots and leaves weeks before spring sowings are ready
Better soil: no annual digging, so soil life and structure improve over time
Fills the hungry gap: many crop in March and April, when little else is ready
Resilient: deep roots cope better with dry spells and wet springs
1. Perennial Kale
Perennial kale (Brassica oleracea) forms a large, bushy plant that produces leaves year-round and rarely flowers, so it doesn't run to seed like annual kale. Taunton Deane has purple-streaked leaves; Daubenton's kale is plain green and very productive. Both are grown from cuttings and crop for around five years.
2. Perennial Cauliflower
Nine Star perennial cauliflower produces several small, creamy-white heads each spring instead of one large one. Pick every head before it flowers and the plant will crop again the following year.
3. Sea Beet
Sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima) is the wild ancestor of beetroot and chard, native to Irish coasts. Its glossy leaves are picked like spinach from early spring to late autumn, and it copes with wind and salt spray.
4. Asparagus
An asparagus bed crops for 15 to 20 years. Plant crowns in spring, leave them unharvested for the first two years so they build strength, then cut spears from April to June.
5. Rhubarb
Rhubarb crowns are among the easiest perennials to grow in Ireland's cool, damp climate. Don't pick in the first year, then pull stalks from April to July. Only the stalks are eaten; the leaves are poisonous.
6. Globe Artichoke
Globe artichokes form bold, silvery clumps 1 to 1.5 m tall. Harvest the flower buds from their second summer, before they open. Mulch the crowns in cold winters.
7. Jerusalem Artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke tubers produce heavy crops of nutty tubers from November through winter. They spread readily, so give them their own corner. Our guide on how to grow Jerusalem artichokes covers planting and containing them.
8. Skirret
Skirret (Sium sisarum) is an old European root vegetable with clusters of sweet, white roots, harvested in autumn and winter. It's a good perennial alternative to carrots and parsnips and likes moist soil.
9. Egyptian Walking Onions
Egyptian walking onions grow small bulbs on top of their stems instead of flowers. The stems bend over and the bulbs root where they land, so the clump slowly "walks" across the bed. Use the leaves like spring onions and the bulbs like shallots.
10. Elephant Garlic
Elephant garlic is closer to a leek than true garlic, with huge, mild cloves. Plant cloves in autumn and leave a few bulbs in the ground each year so the clump comes back.
11. Good King Henry and French Sorrel
Good King Henry gives spring shoots, once known as "poor man's asparagus", and spinach-like leaves; cook them before eating. French sorrel has lemony leaves for salads and sauces and is one of the first greens of spring. Both suit partial shade.
12. Lovage and Horseradish
Lovage grows up to 2 m and gives a strong celery flavour to soups and stocks. Horseradish gives pungent roots for sauce but spreads fast, so grow it in a large pot or a contained bed.
How to Plan a Perennial Vegetable Bed
Choose the spot carefully: these plants stay put for years, so pick a sunny, well-drained site you won't need for anything else.
Clear perennial weeds first: couch grass and docks are hard to remove once perennials are planted.
Group by size: tall plants such as globe artichokes and lovage at the back or north side, low plants such as sorrel and sea beet at the front.
Contain the spreaders: give Jerusalem artichokes and horseradish their own bed or pots.
Mulch every year: a layer of compost each spring feeds the soil and keeps weeds down.
Most perennial vegetables are planted in autumn or spring. Crowns and tubers such as asparagus, rhubarb and Jerusalem artichokes go in during the dormant season, and potted plants can go in any time the soil isn't frozen or waterlogged.
FAQ: Perennial Vegetables in Ireland
What is the easiest perennial vegetable to grow in Ireland?
Rhubarb and perennial kale are the easiest perennial vegetables for Irish gardens. Both are fully hardy, cope with wet weather and need little care beyond a yearly mulch. Sea beet and French sorrel are also very easy and give leafy greens from early spring. Asparagus takes more patience, but crops for up to 20 years once established.
When should I plant perennial vegetables?
Plant crowns and tubers, such as asparagus, rhubarb and Jerusalem artichokes, in the dormant season between November and March, or in early spring. Potted perennials such as perennial kale, sea beet and sorrel can be planted any time the soil isn't frozen or waterlogged. Autumn planting gives roots time to settle before spring growth.
Do perennial vegetables come back every year?
Yes. Perennial vegetables regrow from the same roots each year, so you don't need to resow them. Some, such as asparagus, crop for 15 to 20 years; others, such as perennial kale, stay productive for around five years before being replaced from cuttings. A few, such as yacon, are frost-tender and need lifting in winter.
Can I grow perennial vegetables in a small garden?
Yes. Choose compact plants such as French sorrel, sea beet, chives, Egyptian walking onions and perennial kale, which fit into a small raised bed or large pots. Many are also attractive enough for flower borders. Avoid spreading crops such as Jerusalem artichokes unless you can contain them.
Start Your Perennial Vegetable Bed
Plant a few perennials this autumn and you'll be picking greens next spring without sowing a single seed. Browse all our perennial vegetables at Earthling Plants; mixing several plants in one order is an easy way to reach free shipping over €150.
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