Zone 3 – 10 Best Perennial Vegetables That Will Thrive in

If you live somewhere cold with cool summers and freezing winters, it might be tough to grow edible plants that’ll develop within the short growing seasons. So why not plant cold-hardy perennials that are low-maintenance but big on giving?

If you live in an area with different hardiness zones, the following articles may help you:

• The Top 10 Easy Perennial Vegetables to Plant
• 10 Hardy Perennial Vegetables to Easily Grow in Zone 4
• 20 Best Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 5 Easily
• 12 Best Perennial Vegetables to Plant in Zone 6
• 12 Perennial Vegetables To Grow Easily in Zone 7
• 10 Perennial Vegetables You Can Plant Easily in Zone 8
• 10 Unique Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 9
• 10 Fascinating Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 10
• 9 Perennial Vegetables You Need to Grow in Zone 11
• 9 Perennial Vegetables to Grow Easily in Zone 12
• 9 Best Perennial Vegetables to Plant in Zone 13

Here are 10 tough perennial vegetables that can grow in zone 3:

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1. Arrowhead/Duck Potato (Sagittaria Latifolia )

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Wet, well-draining soil. Alternatively, you can also grow the plant in a shallow pool of water.
• Water: Daily to weekly watering, ensuring there’s constant standing water in the soil.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Restrict this plant in a container or an isolated garden pond to prevent the roots from spreading and clogging open waterways.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Arrowhead tubers once the plant is established or in late fall, taking care to dig up the tubers until they float to the surface. They can be eaten raw after it is cleaned or cooked like potatoes before consumption.

2. Asparagus (Asparagus Officinalis)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Deep, well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out. Ensure to water frequently during a drought.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant. You can also add a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer in early spring before the plant pops up or after harvest.
• Special Care:
  • Pull out weeds around the plant on a weekly basis to prevent nutrient competition.
  • Grow this plant in an area where it won’t be shaded from sunlight by taller plants.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Asparagus in the 2nd or 3rd year after planting so they’ll be well-established. Once they are about 6 to 8 inches long, use a sharp cutting tool to collect them.

3. Common Camas (Camassia Quamash)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight with some shade.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? 

• Harvest Camas tubers after the flowers have withered, ensuring to boil or roast them before consumption. Leave some untouched so the plant will regrow again the year after. 
• Don’t harvest wild Camas as you may accidentally eat the toxic variety. They can be hard to discern so unless you have an expert forager with you, maybe stick with growing your own.

4. Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant. You can also feed the plant with diluted liquid fertilizer once every 2 months in spring and summer.
• Special Care:
  • Apply mulch around the plant to prevent weeds and retain moisture in the soil.
  • Remove withered flower heads to ensure the plant focuses on growing new leaves instead.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Chives once the plants are established, leaving behind about 2 inches of growth on the plant after collection. You can also collect the whole plant, but again, try to keep a few still planted in the ground for next year’s growth.

5. Dandelions (Taraxacum Officinale)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Unnecessary.
• Special Care:
  • Check your local area whether it is ok to grow this plant as some regions have probably banned it to prevent its weedy nature.
  • Restrict growing this plant in a container so it doesn’t spread, ensuring to pick the flowers before they start to seed. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? 

• Harvest tender Dandelion leaves and roots in early spring before the plant flowers, but make sure to only eat in moderation. You can also eat the flowers as soon as it blooms. But if you’re allergic to latex, it’s best to avoid handling or consuming this plant altogether.
• Don’t eat wild Dandelions as they may have been treated with chemicals like herbicides.

6. French Sorrel (Rumex Scutatus)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Hand-pull weeds around this plant on a weekly basis to prevent nutrient competition.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest French Sorrel leaves once the plant is established, but ensure to cook thoroughly and eat only in moderation due to its high oxalic acid content.

7. Garlic (Allium Sativum)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Loose, well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out. But stop watering the plant a month before harvest.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant. You can also add a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer in early spring.
• Special Care:
  • Place mulch around the plant to suppress weeds, retain moisture and warmth in the soil so it’ll survive through the cold season.
  • Choose hardneck garlic variety as it is more hardy when grown in cool climate areas. Here’s a few articles on garlic varieties that may help you:
    • 20 Best Garlic Varieties You Need to Try & Start Planting
    • 11 Rare Garlic Varieties You Need to Try At Least Once in Your Life
    • 26 Best Garlic Varieties to Plant in Zone 5 Easily

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Garlic once half the shoots have turned brown, taking care to dig up the plant gently. Cure it in a cool and dry place for about a month until the rest of the shoots dry out; this way, you can store them for a long time.

8. Parsnips (Pastinaca Sativa)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining, sandy, slightly acidic soil with pH 5.8 to 7.5.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Place mulch around the plant to protect it in winter. This helps to retain moisture and warmth in the soil while preventing weeds.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Parsnips in early spring, making sure to carefully pull the plant out of the soil.

9. Rhubarb (Rheum Rhabarbarum)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: 
  • Apply mulch around the plant to keep the soil moist and prevent weeds.
  • Divide the plant every few years to prevent overcrowding and potential disease problems

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Rhubarb stalks after 2 to 3 years of planting, ensuring to use a sharp cutting tool. Remove the foliage as needed and don’t consume it as they are inedible and toxic. If you’d like to know how to grow thicker stalks, this ‘Rhubarb article’ may interest you.

10. Scallions/Bunching Onions (Allium Fistulosum)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining, sandy soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Every 5 to 7 days, after the soil’s surface dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Pull out weeds on a weekly basis to prevent nutrient competition with the plant.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Scallions once they are well-established, either by pulling them gently out of the soil with a trowel or cutting the shoots down to 2 inches above the soil level.

References:

1. ‌Camassia (Camas, Quamash, Wild Hyacinth) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/camassia/
2. Chives | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (2010). Psu.edu. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/chives/infos
3. Garlic | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (2010). Psu.edu. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/garlic/infos
4. Growing asparagus in home gardens. (n.d.). Extension.umn.edu. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-asparagus
5. Growing scallions in home gardens. (n.d.). Extension.umn.edu. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-scallions-home-gardens
6. Growing sorrel in home gardens. (n.d.). Extension.umn.edu. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-sorrel
7. Mahr, S. (n.d.). Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. Wisconsin Horticulture. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dandelion-taraxacum-officinale/
8. Parsnip | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/parsnip/infos
9. Rhubarb | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. Retrieved December 19, 2022, from https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/rhubarb/infos
10. Sagittaria latifolia (Broad-leaved Arrowhead, Duck Potato) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sagittaria-latifolia/