6 Edible Perennials to Start Planting

Edible perennials are at the heart of a successful permaculture garden. These plants live for several years, are abundant, and bring diversity and resilience to the garden.

Edible perennials perform many functions in the system, and dramatically increase the harvestable yield.

Not only do perennials provide an ongoing supply of food, fibre and medicine for the gardener, they also provide structure to the garden, mulch, in-garden windbreaks or shade, habitat for beneficial insects, hides for birds and frogs, pollen for bees, and organic matter for the soil.

Perennials are easy to grow and harvest. Well-chosen perennials need little maintenance to be healthy and come back year after year.

Their root systems access water and nutrients deep in the soil, making them typically more hardy and self-reliant than annuals. They can withstand difficult conditions and are great for challenging corners of the garden.

There are thousands of edible perennials to choose from. Here are six easy ones to start with. Keep adding diversity.

6 edible perennials to plant in your garden

Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

edible perennials - turmeric

Turmeric has been used in India for over 2,500 years. Well known as the yellow colour in curries, it is actually a medicinal powerhouse with a wide range of benefits.

Eat some every day. Fresh is best – in juices, curries, grated in salad, yellow rice… It is a pretty member of the ginger family, producing abundant rhizomes that are ready about nine months after planting.

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius)

edible perennials - yacon

Also known as Peruvian ground apple, yacon is a superb addition to a food forest or perennial vegetable garden. It grows vigorously to two metres even in poor soils, and the ground heaves with the abundance of tubers forming underground in autumn.

The crunchy sweet tubers can be eaten raw – in salads, juiced – or cooked.

Aloe Vera (Aloe vera barbadensis)

edible perennials - aloe vera

Aloe vera, a perennial succulent, has incredible medicinal benefits and has been used therapeutically for over 5,000 years. It is excellent for cooling burns and sunburn, and soothing bites and chapped skin.

It’s a fabulous digestive aid and detox plant that can be added to salads and smoothies. It survives in low water use gardens, but can get sunburnt, and it is resistant to most pests. Plant it in easy reach for emergencies.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)

comfrey

Comfrey is indispensable in a permaculture garden – an excellent soil conditioner, dynamic accumulator, mulch, compost activator, liquid manure ingredient, nutrient trap, weed barrier, animal and bee forage.

It is also a great topical healing herb.

Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea)

society garlic

Society garlic provides greens and flavour all year round and is very drought hardy. It makes an excellent edge – dense clumps of upright leaves can hold back mulch and help to keep weeds out.

Both the leaves and mauve flowers are edible, and make a great addition to salads, dressings, omelettes, stir-fries, soups and sauces.

Brazilian spinach (Alternanthera sissoo)

Brazilian spinach

This edible groundcover is a leafy green which can be used raw or cooked and has a great texture. It forms an attractive mound of decorative shiny leaves that is productive all year round – guaranteeing fresh greens in your garden.

As a herbaceous border it requires almost no attention and has few pests.

You can find the full version of this article in issue #4 of Pip Magazine, availablehere.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This