Growing edible perennial food crops in the north is so valuable! Even though I am starting all kinds of food crop seeds inside while there’s still snow outside, the first crops I harvest always end up being our early spring perennials. Plus spring perennials play well with other early spring annuals like salads and radishes.

It can feel like a superpower to be eating from your land as early as May, especially when all you did was rake back a few leaves…

Why Grow Edible Perennials in Cold Climates?

We have an extremely short growing season in Minnesota, under 150 days! So we need plants that can take the freezing cold and then warm up fast, and early spring perennials make it happen.

  • Edible perennials make the most of the spring shoulder season here in the north, because even when our air temps are still chaotic and dipping below those freezing points, the soil is slowly, steadily warming. And the roots of perennials use that as their sign to start growing, not the cold above ground air temps.
  • Choosing the right location is key to the success of the plant’s life and your harvests. Because these plants will thrive for years to come, think about other trees that will grow and shade in 20 years, or if you’ll be adding onto a deck, patio etc.…
  • They are lower maintenance because there’s no need for annual tilling, planting, seed starting, transplanting, etc.
  • You’ll get much earlier harvests compared to any annuals you’ve started inside. I know this can seem counter intuitive, but I’ve seen it happen year after year.
  • Leaving the roots in the ground for years has huge benefits to the soil health. It of course reduces erosion but also increases the overall count and diversity of the soil microorganisms, which help grow healthier plants.

What Are Edible Perennials?

In this article we’re talking specifically about Herbaceous Edible Perennials. These are plants that come back year after year- but die down to the ground every winter. Distinct from all the delicious berry bushes and trees that also produce for years.

Edible perennials that take our colder winters in Zone 4 include asparagus, rhubarb, some varieties of perennial sorrel, kale and spinach, sunchokes, herbs like thyme, oregano, chives, garlic chives, and strawberries. Find your Growing zone in this Interactive Map from the USDA.

Best Early Spring Edible Perennials for Northern Gardeners

Asparagus

One of the first perennials to be harvested from gardens, sometimes as early as late April in my garden. And since these plants can produce steady for over 15 years, you want to be picky about choosing the right location. Plant once for years of nutritious, fresh harvests.

Learn all the planting tips and tricks, plus my favorite ways to eat asparagus in the full length article: Growing Asparagus: Long Lasting Perennial Vegetable

You can actually interplant asparagus with Strawberries, another edible perennial listed below…

Rhubarb

You know when almost every old farmyard has a patch still growing it must be hardy, right!

Rhubarb plants can last up to 100 years, but typically more like 20 years and then they need dividing. But other than that, give them sun and decent soil, and they’ll give you years of easy harvests. With over 100 distinct varieties of rhubarb, red does NOT always equal ripe.

Learn how to grow great rhubarb and some of my favorite recipes (from crisps, to savory chutney, in rhubarb shrub mocktails + cocktails, to our new obsession Sour Rhubarb Candy Strips in this Article,  Growing Rhubarb: Plus My Favorite Rhubarb Recipes

Strawberries

Strawberries mean summer has arrived in my growing zone, as we start harvesting just as school gets out.

Planting a patch of bare root crowns in May is the way to get this crop off the ground.  And speaking of up off the ground, what should you put around your STRAW berries? Straw, lots of straw! That way the berries don’t get dirty, and the runners can root into the loosened soil. There are 3 main kinds of strawberries depending on how and when you want to harvest, June Bearing, Ever Bearing and Day Neutral.

Find out more about varieties and best planting practices, plus my favorite recipes in my deep dive article, Growing Strawberries.

*Combine these perennials to make my favorite freezer jam, Strawberry/Rhubarb!

Perennial Herbs + Greens

There is such a huge diversity of cold hard herbs and greens, especially varieties that can be harvested early in the spring, yes even up north!

From foraging for nettles or cattails, or planting perennial spinach or a perennial kale, or sorrel there are vast amounts of native and cultivated spring greens.

For perennial herbs, remember that basics like chives, garlic chives, oregano, thyme, mint and lemon balm.

Tips for Growing Perennial Vegetables and Fruits Successfully

  • Take your time choosing the best location before you plant these long-term investments. Choosing the right location is key to the success of the plant’s life and your harvests. Because these plants will thrive for years to come – long term investments- big rewards!
  • Also take time to prepare the soil well before planting. I’ll usually weed well and then add in a layer of organic compost to help start off the plants on the right root.
  • Know your yard’s Microclimates.  I like to think about where the snow melts first in a yard and use that microclimate to plant these earliest perennials, because they are driven more by soil temperature and will give you a week or two earlier harvests by paying attention.

Which Edible Perennials Should You Start With?

With gardening you should always grow what you love, and leave the other plants for someone else…

That said, rhubarb is one of the hardiest plants and a great one to start off with. Strawberries and quite easy to grow once they’re established, so they will take a little extra love and watering that first season. All the perennial herbs are great additions to any modern homestead. You’ll be amazed how often you head outside to grab a few sprigs of thyme or oregano to add to a salad or pot of soup…

And that’s really the goal, to get you planting foods that are easy to grow while giving you a big return for your time, garden space and growing season.

Edible perennials just check all the boxes.

Have fun and Dig Into Perennials!

Michelle