Perennial vegetables are vegetables that can live for more than two years.
Some well known perennial vegetables from the temperate regions of the world include asparagus, artichoke and rhubarb. In the tropics, cassava and taro are grown as vegetables, and these plants can live many years. Some perennial plants are cultivated as annuals in order to minimise pest pressure (e.g., potato, Solanum tuberosum).
Perennial vegetables are an integral part of many cultural diets around the world, particularly in tropical agriculture. In contrast, temperate Eurasian cultures have relied on annual cereals (oats, barley, wheat) as dietary staples since antiquity. Some examples of older temperate varieties include: seakale, skirret, sorrel, and Good King Henry.
List Abelmoschus manihot, edible hibiscus Allium ampeloprasum, perennial leek Allium cepa aggregatum, potato onion Allium fistulosum, the Welsh onion, a perennial scallion Allium × proliferum, tree onion or walking onion Allium schoenoprasum, chives Aralia cordata, udo Arracacia xanthorrhiza, arracacha Artocarpus altilis, breadfruit Asparagus officinalis, asparagus Atriplex halimus, saltbush Basella alba, Malabar spinach Beta vulgaris maritima, sea beet Blitum bonus-henricus, Good King Henry Brassica oleracea acephala varieties, tree collards or tree kale Brassica oleracea alboglabra, kai-lan Bunias orientalis, Turkish rocket Camassia spp., camas Canna edulis, achira Capparis spinosa, capers Capsicum baccatum, aji amarillo Capsicum pubescens, manzano chile Carica papaya, papaya Cicorium intybus, chicory Cnidoscolus chayamansa, chaya Coccinia grandis, ivy gourd or perennial cucumber Colocasia esculenta, taro Crambe maritima, sea kale Cynara cardunculus, cardoon Cynara scolymus, artichoke Dioscorea bulbifera, air potato Helianthus tuberosus, Jerusalem artichoke Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato Lablab purpureus, hyacinth bean Manihot esculenta, cassava Nasturtium officinale, water cress Nelumbo nucifera, lotus Oxalis tuberosa, oca Phaseolus coccineus, runner bean Plantago coronopus, minutina Rheum rhabarbarum, rhubarb Rumex acetosa, sorrel Rumex scutatus, shield-leaf sorrel Sauropus androgynus, katuk Scorzonera hispanica, black salsify Sium sisarum, skirret Smallanthus sonchifolius, yacón Stachys affinis, crosne Suaeda pulvinata, seepweed Toona sinensis, fragrant spring tree or xiāngchūn Vasconcellea × heilbornii, babaco papaya
See also Leaf vegetable Root vegetable Breadfruit is an example of a tree fruit that is perennial, and is used as a vegetable Perennial (disambiguation)
Further reading Alison Tindale. 2015. "Perennial Vegetables". backyardlarder.co.uk. Eric Toensmeier. Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious, Easy-to-Grow Edibles. Chelsea Green, 2007. Simon Hickmott. Growing Unusual Vegetables: Weird And Wonderful Vegetables And How to Grow Them. Eco-Logic Books, 2006. Ken Fern. Plants for a Future: Edible & Useful Plants for a Healthier World. Permanent Publications, 2000.
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