Top 8 Perennial Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs to Plant

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Planting perennial vegetables, fruits, and herbs in your home garden is a great way to maximize production with minimal maintenance. After one initial planting, perennial edibles produce food for years. We grow these 8 perennials here at the East Fork, and they produce year after year with very little hands-on work. Grab the FREE perennial vegetables, fruits, and herbs eBook to get started below!

Introduction to Perennials

Perennial veggies, fruits, and herbs grow year after year with only one initial planting. These plants provide a steady supply of fresh food without the need for yearly tilling and planting. Perennial plants tend to be easier to grow, more ecologically beneficial, and less dependent on water and other inputs. What’s not the love about low-maintenance food production?

Benefits of Perennial Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs

Perennial Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs are Low Maintenance

Once established in the proper location, perennials can be very hardy and resistant to pests, diseases, drought, and weeds. Perennials require very little care and maintenance and produce abundant harvests year after year.

The ease of growing perennials and their abundant production is the best reason to grow them.

Perennial Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs Maximize the Harvest Season

Many perennial crops have different harvest seasons than annual vegetables, which means more food production throughout the growing season.

Perennial vegetables often begin growing early in the spring, with early harvest windows. Perennial fruits produce throughout the growing season depending on the variety. Most perennial herbs can be harvested as needed throughout the growing season.

Perennials Provide Multiple Landscape Benefits

Many perennial vegetables, fruits, and herbs are beautiful and can be grown as much for their ornamental value as their food production. Perennials can function as hedge rows, ground covers, or shade. Some perennials provide habitat or food for beneficial insects, pollinators, and wildlife.

Adding perennials to your home garden adds beauty and function with very little maintenance.

Planning your Perennial Garden

Choosing the right perennial planting location is the most important step to successfully growing perennial crops. Understanding the soil, sunlight, and water requirements of each perennial variety will help you put each plant in an ideal location.

While some perennials can be moved if they aren’t thriving in the location you chose, this often sets back production and is sometimes impossible. It’s best to choose the ideal location at the time of initial planting.

Understanding your local climate and perennial varieties that do best where you live is also important to your success. Some perennials do better in a colder climate, and some thrive in warmer areas.

8 Common Perennial Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs

These 8 common perennials are a joy to grow and produce delicious crops. We grow all 8 of these here at the East Fork and enjoy them year after year.

Perennial Fruits

1. Raspberries

Raspberry plants produce delicious red, purple, or yellow berries that are high in antioxidants and vitamins. Raspberries are great for fresh eating or making raspberry jam.

• Raspberry Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained soil, rich in organic matter.
  • Sunlight: Full sun.
  • Spacing: Space plants 18-24 inches apart in rows 5-6 feet apart.
    Planting time: Spring or fall.
• Raspberry Care
  • Watering: Keep soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged.
  • Pruning: Cut back canes that have fruited to ground level after harvest. Thin remaining canes to improve air circulation. Read more about raspberry pruning here.
  • Mulching: Mulch to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
• Raspberry Harvesting
  • Berries are ready for harvest when fully colored and easily come off the stem. Typically in mid-summer.

2. Strawberries

Strawberries are low-growing plants producing sweet, juicy red berries. They are excellent for fresh eating and preserves.

• Strawberry Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy-loamy soil rich in organic matter.
  • Sunlight: Full sun.
  • Spacing: Space plants 12 inches apart in rows 24036 inches apart.
  • Planting time: Early spring or late summer.
• Strawberry Care
  • Watering: Keep soil consistently moist, avoid overhead watering to prevent disease.
  • Mulching: Mulch to suppress weeds and keep fruit clean.
  • Maintenance: Remove old leaves and runners in late summer to rejuvenate plants.
• Strawberry Harvesting
  • Berries are ready when they turn bright red. Harvest every 2-3 days during the fruiting season

3. Apples

Offering a wide variety of tastes, colors, and uses, apples are wonderful for fresh eating, baking, and preserving.

• Apple Tree Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
  • Sunlight: Full sun.
  • Spacing: Space standard trees 15-20 feet apart; dwarf varieties 8-10 feet apart.
  • Planting time: Spring or fall.
• Apple Tree Care
  • Watering: Regular watering, especially during dry periods.
  • Pruning: Prune annually to maintain shape, remove dead or diseased wood, and improve air circulation.
  • Pest Management: Monitor for common pests and diseases, such as apple scab and codling moth.
• Apple Harvesting
  • Harvest apples when they are firm and easily come off the tree. Generally, the seeds inside an apple are brown when they are ready for harvest. Timing varies by variety.

Perennial Vegetables

4. Rhubarb

Rhubarb produces bright red stalks used in desserts (think rhubarb pie filling), sauces, and preserves.

• Rhubarb Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, rich, loamy soil.
  • Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
  • Spacing: Space plants 3-4 feet apart.
  • Planting time: Early spring or late fall.
• Rhubarb Care
  • Watering: Regular watering, especially during dry periods.
  • Pruning: Remove flower stalks to prevent energy from going to seed production.
  • Mulching: Mulch to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.
• Rhubarb Harvesting
  • Harvest stalks when they are at least 12 inches long.
  • Avoid eating leaves, they contain toxic oxalic acid.

5. Asparagus

Asparagus is a spring vegetable. Tender spears can be produced for 15-20 years!

• Asparagus Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy-loamy soil with organic matter.
  • Sunlight: Full sun.
  • Spacing: Space crowns 18 inches apart in rows 3-5 feet apart.
  • Planting time: Early spring.
• Asparagus Care
  • Watering: Regular watering to keep soil moist.
  • Pruning: Allow foliage to die back in the fall before cutting it to the ground.
  • Mulching: Use mulch to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
• Asparagus Harvesting
  • Start harvesting in the third year, picking spears when they are 6-8 inches tall. Do not over harvest, leave some spears to keep the plant healthy.

Perennial Herbs

6. Sage

Sage is an aromatic perennial herb known for its savory leaves used in a variety of culinary dishes. It has a robust, earthy flavor.

• Sage Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, sandy-loam soil.
  • Sunlight: Full sun.
  • Spacing: Space plants 12-18 inches apart.
  • Planting time: Spring or fall.
• Sage Care
  • Watering: Allow soil to dry between watering.
  • Pruning: Prune in early spring to remove dead or damaged leaves and encourage new growth.
  • Mulching: Mulch lightly to keep weeds down and retain soil moisture.
• Sage Harvesting
  • Harvest leaves as needed, ideally before the plant starts flowering for best flavor.

7. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a fragrant herb with a lemony scent and flavor. It is used in lemon balm tea, salads, and as a flavoring in various dishes like this honey dill lemon balm salmon.

• Lemon Balm Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, rich soil.
  • Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
  • Spacing: Space plants 12-18 inches apart.
  • Planting time: Spring or fall.
• Lemon Balm Care
  • Watering: Keep soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged.
  • Pruning: Trim plants regularly to encourage bushier growth.
  • Mulching: Mulch to suppress weeds and retain soil moisture.
• Lemon Balm Harvesting
  • Harvest leaves throughout the growing season. Best used fresh, but can also be dried for later use.

8. Chives

Chives are a versatile herb with a mild onion flavor. Both the leaves and flowers are edible and add a fresh taste to dishes like these Sourdough Cheddar Chive Biscuits.

• Chive Planting tips
  • Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil.
  • Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade.
  • Spacing: Space plants 6-12 inches apart.
  • Planting time: Spring or fall.
• Chive Care
  • Watering: Keep soil evenly moist.
  • Pruning: Regularly trim leaves to encourage new growth and prevent flowering.
  • Dividing: Divide clumps every 2-3 years to maintain health and productivity.
• Chive Harvesting
  • Cut leaves as needed throughout the growing season. Harvest before the plant starts flowering for best flavor.

Other Less Common Perennials

• Jerusalem artichokes
• Potato Onions
• Good King Henry
• Egyptian Walking Onions
• Ostrich Fern
• French Sorrel
• Turkish Rocket
• Caucasian Mountain Spinach
• Serviceberry or Juneberry
• Elderberry

What are your favorite perennials? Let us know in the comments!

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• About the Author
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Halli

Halli is a 4th generation gardener. Her great-grandmother had a beautiful garden and orchard and grew all the food to feed her large family.  Halli has been growing her own garden for over 20 years. Growing her own food, improving the soil, and feeding her family home-cooked meals are her passions.  Halli loves to connect with old, time-honored ways of cooking, gardening, and living.

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