Reading through my weekly Perennial Pulse newsletter written by Paul Pilon, I came across a great little article about incorporating some edible perennials into the landscape this year. We think of perennials as mostly being ornamental in our landscape, but why not add some edible perennials to the mix! Here are a few of his suggestions:

Rhubarb

There isn't any easier place to start with than rhubarb. Give this one a year to become established and there will be rhubarb aplenty for years to come.

Globe Artichoke

Considered a gourmet vegetable, but also makes a fine contribution to the perennial border.

Sea Kale

This member of the Brassica family is easy to grow and all parts of this clump-forming perennial are edible (the leaves and flowers are primarily used as a food source).

Asparagus

Asparagus is probably the best know perennial vegetable. Did you know that asparagus has been grown as a vegetable for more than 2,000 years?

Horseradish

This hardy perennial is most commonly grown for the spicy, hot taste that comes from its enlarged taproot. Primarily used as a condiment.

Perennial Alliums

This group of plants includes several popular types of onions including scallions, Japanese bunching onions, walking onions, wild leeks and wild garlic.

Edible Tuberous Roots

Jerusalem artichoke is a tough, drought-resistant perennial, which was cultivated by the Native Americans for their crisp, nutty and sweet edible tubers.

Hemerocallis

I bet you didn't expect to see daylilies on this list. While primarily grown as an ornamental in North America, hemerocallis is largely used as a vegetable in Asia. The flower buds are harvested and consumed like we eat green beans. The flowers can even be served in salads, battered or fried. Bon appetit!

Many of these perennial vegetables are available as bare root or bulbs. There are easily at least 100 perennial vegetables out there, some are mainstream while others are a little more obscure.