A List Of Perennials
To Get Your Garden Started!

When you're planning your garden, this list of perennials should help you to see whether that plant you're contemplating will stay around more than a year or two.

Perennials give a consistent look to your garden and are commonly used as a starting point when planning front yard edible landscapes. Plant your perennials first, then add in edible annuals to add lushness while your perennial plants are becoming established.

Feel free to print this out and use it to create your personal "edible garden wish list".

List of perennials, A through M

Jump to N through Z

Agastache

Agave

Alfalfa

Allium tricoccum: commonly known as ramps, spring onion, ramson, wild leek, or ail des bois

Apple (Malus domestica)

Apricot

Asparagus

Avocado (Persea americana)

Banana

Basil, many varieties: African Blue (Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum 'Dark Opal'), East Indian, holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

Blackberry

Black cherry (Prunus serotina)

Blackcurrant

Blueberry

Broccoli, many varieties (Nine Star)

Chestnut (Castanea sativa) -- also called sweet chestnut or marron

Chicory

Chives

Chokeberries (Aronia species)

Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)

Citrus

Clover (Trifolium)

Common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) -- also called sorrel, garden sorrel, spinach dock or narrow-leaved dock

Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) -- Also known as the European Cornel

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

Currant

Daylilies (Hemerocallis species)

Dill

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) -- frost-tender

Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) -- Also known as Pineapple Guava or Guavasteen

Fennel

Ferula

Fig (Ficus carica)

Garlic

Ginger

Ginkgo biloba -- nuts only; leaves are used medicinally. Allergic reactions reported, eat nuts in moderation.

Globe artichoke

Grape

Ground Nut (Apios americana)

Hawthorn (Cratagus species)

Hazel nut (Corylus americana, C. cornuta, C. avellana)

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)

Hosta -- taste before buying, some taste much better than others.

Japanese wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius)

Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) -- Also called sunroot, sunchoke, or earth apple

Kiwi fruit

Konjac (Amorphophallus konjac)

Lavender

Leek (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum (L.), also sometimes known as Allium porrum)

Lemon Balm

Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)

Malabar spinach (Basella alba) -- Also known as Ceylon spinach, Red vine spinach, Climbing spinach

Mango

Maple (sugar maple)

Mint

N through Z

Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)

Nasturtium

New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides)

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)

Onions -- many varieties are perennials: Potato onions, Shallots, Egyptian onions, Japanese bunching onions, Welsh onions, Chinese leeks

Oregano

Pear

Peppers (Capsicum annuum) -- chilis, bell peppers, sweet peppers

Persimmon

Pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica) -- also called fire cherry

Pine

Pineapple

Piper nigrum (black pepper)

Plum

Pomegranate

Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Quince (Cydonia oblonga)

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus) -- Also known as Italian Chicory

Rakkyo (Allium chinense)

Raspberries

Redbud (Cercis species)

Rhubarb

Roses

Rosemary

Saffron crocus (Crocus sativus)

Sage

Sea Kale (Crambe maritima)

Siberian peashrub (Caragana arborescens)

Sissoo Spinach (Alternanthera)

Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) -- otherwise known as Juneberry

Star Apple (Chrysophyllum cainito) -- also called cainito, caimito, golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme du lait, estrella, milk fruit and aguay.

Starfruit (Averrhoa carambola) -- also called Carambola

Stevia

Strawberry

Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo)

Strawberry Tree (Muntinga calabura) -- Also known as Jamaican cherry, Panama berry, Singapore cherry

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)

Taro (Colocasia esculenta) -- Also called Elephant Ear and Eddoe. The related ornamental plant Caladium is poisonous

Thyme

Tomato

Tree sorrel (Averrhoa bilimbi) -- also called bilimbi or cucumber tree

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) -- Mostly used as a medicinal herb tea

Water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis)

Watercress

Wineberry (Aristotelia serrata) -- Also known as Makomako, native to New Zealand

White Horehound (Marrubium vulgare)

Jump back up to A through M

Hopefully, this list of perennials has inspired some new ways of thinking about your edible garden ... it's much more than tomatoes and corn!

I update this page regularly as I find new edible perennials for you -- check back soon, or subscribe to my blog feed (click the orange RSS button to your left) to be notified of major updates.

If you'd like to talk more about this list of perennials with a group of people who love edible landscaping as much as you do, join the Tasteful Landscape community. It's free! Just fill out the form below and follow the instructions:

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