Perennial vegetables bring seasons of harvests from established roots that overwinter from year to year. The rewards of a one-time planting for recurrent yields earn them a permanent spot in the garden.

While annual crops grow quickly and produce in a single season, fall perennial vegetables offer additional rounds of bounty. Some are short-lived over a few years, like perennial kale, while others, like asparagus, can live for 15 years or more.

When it comes to selecting fall perennial vegetables, choosing those that survive winter in our USDA growing zone is key. Otherwise, they grow as tender perennials (requiring winter protection) or as annuals in cold climates. 

To plant perennial vegetables in the fall, use your area’s first anticipated frost date as a guide. In climates with cold winters, some of these perennialize best with a spring planting to spare young seedlings winter extremes. In zones with milder winters, a fall planting allows them to mature over the cool season for a head start on development and beating the summer heat.

Chives

Comes back each spring and attracts pollinators.

Chives are frost-tolerant, hardy, and one of the easiest fall perennial vegetables to grow. They’re among the first to pop up in spring and do so for years.

Both the slender-bladed leaves and pompom flowers are edible. The lavender flowers emerge in spring and early summer, attracting pollinators and beneficial insects. Use chives as a companion plant to other crops to deter certain garden pests with their aromatic essential oils.

Chives are low-maintenance and drought-tolerant, performing best in moist, well-draining soils. In cold climates, they enter dormancy over the winter. In mild climates, they remain semi-evergreen. Chives fade in hot southern summers with high humidity, where they grow best with cooling afternoon shade protection.

Sow seeds as late as two months before the first fall frost for seedlings to establish before winter. In mild climates, they do best in the cool season. A bonus of growing the Allium genus as fall perennial vegetables is their deer and rabbit resistance due to fragrant leaves, stems, and roots.

Artichoke

Cut back stalks to encourage new shoots.

Artichokes are long-maturing, nutrient-dense, versatile vegetables with structural leaves and unique flower forms. The silvery green, spiky, frond-like foliage fills out during the cool season. The artichokes follow, with three to five per plant.

The edible parts are the underdeveloped flowers, with edible fleshy hearts and leaf tissues. With multiple plants, let a few develop into full flowers to enjoy the striking purple tufts, which are showy and attract pollinators.

In the upper end of their growing zones, plant artichokes in late summer and early fall. They establish over a mild winter for spring production. Cut back the stalk in the summer to encourage a dormancy period to promote new shoots in the fall. In cooler climates, start seeds indoors for transplanting after the final frost. Cut back the main trunk in late fall, and insulate the stalks and roots with mulch or straw for overwintering.

‘Green Globe Improved’ is a robust heirloom from 1863 with better production, less spiny tips, and a more uniform habit. They mature in five to six months and grow across a range of climates.

Leeks

Cold-hardy and keeps sweet flavor through winter.

Leeks are mild Alliums with a subtle but rich onion flavor that sweetens and mellows with cooking. Leeks are a cool-season vegetable, often grown as an annual but technically a biennial. They develop roots and upper growth in the first year, followed by seed production before dying in the second year. Because of their clumping form, you may get subsequent harvests from new shoots if allowed to remain in the ground.

In warm climates, sow leek seeds in late summer for a spring harvest. They’re long to mature and perform in winter in zone 7 and warmer. In cool climates, sow them two to four weeks before the average last frost in spring for a late summer harvest and again in late spring to enjoy in the fall. 

‘King Richard’ has long, thick, and dense white stems. The leeks are hardy to 20°F (-7°C) for an extended growing and harvest season. ‘King Richard’ is a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient for its robust growth and early harvest. The variety reaches full size in 75 days.

Garlic

Plant in fall for a spring bulb harvest.

Garlic is easy to grow and just as easy to plant as a perennial vegetable in the fall. It needs little tending over the fall and winter as we await the bulb harvest. It’s best to plant seed garlic in September in cold climates. Wait until October or November in warm climates to let temperatures cool. Plant fall garlic in the border, raised beds, and in containers tucked in for a spring harvest.

Garlic bulbs are either hardneck or softneck and suit different climate ranges. Hardnecks have a robust flavor and are easy to peel. They require a chill period and do best in cold climates. Softneck varieties are generally smaller bulbs and work well across both cold and hot climates.

‘Nootka Rose’ shows pink-tipped cloves with white outer layers. It adapts to a wide range of climates with few problems. ‘Silver White’ is a mild classic with nearly one hundred years of cultivation. It, too, adapts to varying conditions and temperatures.

Asparagus

Takes a few years but produces for decades.

Asparagus is slow to mature from young crowns, but by its second or third year, the fresh green shoots are in full swing. The cold-hardy vegetable is also long-lived and deserving of its permanent spot in the garden.

Asparagus is one of the first to crop up in spring with fresh green spears, followed by ferny, feathery foliage. The tender, nutrient-rich stems grow quickly to reach peak readiness in cool conditions.

Asparagus is usually planted in spring, especially in cold climates (April to May). In milder regions, a fall planting of these perennial vegetables works well. The asparagus harvest period lasts about two months, with leaves and roots growing the remainder of the warm season to support perennialization.

Situate asparagus toward the back of the border or along a fence where it can grow freely without shading other selections. The extensive roots tolerate various soil types with good drainage. 

‘Millennium’ is a top-performing variety in cold hardiness, high yield, and good flavor. Its uniform spears have tight tips that are disease-resistant against rust, Fusarium, and crown rot. ‘Purple Passion’ in deep plum has plump stems with more sugars and a mild flavor. Thicker than green varieties, stems emerge later in the season, which protects sensitive shoots from early frosts.

Horseradish

Dig roots yearly to harvest and control spread.

Horseradish is a rugged perennial vegetable that benefits from cold winters, making it prime for fall planting. Grating the thick roots is what produces the sharp, spicy flavor.

Horseradish roots develop the best in loose, organically rich, well-draining soils. The roots are ready to harvest about one year after planting. During the next cool season, as foliage dies back with cool temperatures, dig the primary root and any side roots to enjoy the heat.

Horseradish spreads vigorously through its roots. Dig and harvest them annually to control the spread. Replant the number of roots you want for successional crops and use the extras in the kitchen. Roots last for about three months or more in refrigeration.

Fennel

This cool-season plant thrives best in mild autumn climates.

Fennel boasts tall, feathery, anise-flavored foliage. Yellow flower umbels appear in summer and attract numerous pollinators and beneficial insects. Fennel is also a host plant for swallowtail butterflies. Opt for a fall planting in mild climates for growing as a cool-season crop.

Native to the Mediterranean, fennel adapts to a variety of conditions and relies on well-draining soils. It readily self-seeds, escaping and naturalizing easily to become invasive in some areas. Deadhead spent blooms to prevent unwanted volunteers.

‘Finocchio’ fennel has airy foliage and bloom clusters. Its anise-flavored roots reach three to four inches and mature in 90 days. ‘Dragon’ produces large, aromatic bulbs. The crunchy, dense licorice “bulbs” mature in 75 days. Look for bronze fennel with tawny fronds and a sweet anise flavor. It enhances visual interest with its color and form. 

Sorrel

Harvest leaves from spring until frost returns.

Sorrel emerges with tender, flavorful leaves in early spring. Young leaves are fresh green with a tart, lemony flavor, enjoyed fresh or cooked to mellow the sourness.

In southern climates, sorrel performs as a cool-season annual until hot, humid summers. In colder climates, it grows from spring through fall and enters dormancy over the winter. Harvest leaves continually from spring until frost. Easily divide plants if clumps become large or crowded over time.

Red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus) has green leaves with deep scarlet venation. The fall perennial vegetables are edible and ornamental, and make a lovely display with fall blooms like pansies, violas, and snapdragons. Young leaves are soft and tangy, with a hint of sharp raspberry. Older leaves become tougher and more bitter.

Rhubarb

Needs cold winters and thrives for many years.

Rhubarb is a classic early spring crop with colorful, fibrous stalks. Sour when raw, it becomes sweeter during cooking and makes a tasty addition to pies and breads. You can also strain it and add sugar to make a juice.