10 Hardy Perennial Vegetables For Zone 4

Anyone who lives in USDA hardiness zone 4 knows the meaning of the word cold. It can be challenging to find perennial crops that’ll survive through the freezing temperatures. Luckily, there are a few tough vegetables out there that can withstand this trial by ice (see what I did there?).

If this isn’t your hardiness zone, here are some related articles that may interest you:

• The Top 10 Easy Perennial Vegetables to Plant
• 10 Best Perennial Vegetables That Will Thrive in Zone 3
• 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 some perennial vegetables you should try planting in Zone 4:

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1. Black Salsify/Scorzonera (Scorzonera Hispanica)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining sandy or loamy soil with depth to encourage longer root growth.
• Water: Weekly to biweekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer with an all-purpose fertilizer.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Black Salsify or Scorzonera are often ready to be harvested after 120 days. You can leave them in the ground until you’re ready to use them or dig them up and store them in a cold area. 

2. Chinese Yam (Dioscorea Polystachya)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly to biweekly watering, allowing the 1-2 top inches of the soil’s surface to dry out first.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost into the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: Use a trellis to support the plant’s climbing vines and encourage better growth. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Chinese yam is considered invasive in some regions due to their rapid growth – chances are you may even have them already growing in your backyard! Plant them in containers instead to be on the safe side.

3. Globe Artichoke (Cynara Scolymus)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly to biweekly watering, allowing the 1-2 top inches of the soil’s surface to dry out first. 
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer with an all-purpose fertilizer.
• Special Care: Apply mulch around the plant to retain moisture and prevent the soil from drying out. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? You can typically harvest globe artichokes within 150 to 180 days.

4. Musk Mallow (Malva Moschata)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining.
• Water: Weekly watering to keep the soil constantly moist. Frequent watering is especially needed during the hot spells.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost into the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Musk Mallow is invasive in some states so be sure to keep them restricted in a container. 

5. Ramps (Allium Tricoccum)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily, with as much shade as possible.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining soil filled with nutrients, but they can typically handle wet or dry conditions. 
• Water: Weekly to biweekly watering, ensuring the soil is constantly moist.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost into the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: 
  • Try to obtain young Ramps to grow them in your garden. Starting them from seeds or bulbs is also possible but you’ll have to wait up to 7 years before they are fully developed. 
  • Mulch around the plant to retain moisture and heat in the soil.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? When harvesting Ramps, be careful not to damage the bulbs. This way, the plant won’t have problems growing back every year.

6. Sea Kale (Crambe Maritima)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, slightly alkaline soil with pH 7 to 8.
• Water: Weekly watering. 
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost into the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: Cover the young, growing shoots with another pot to retain delicate leaves and a sweeter flavor profile.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Sea Kale once they are 4 to 5 inches long. 

7. Skirret (Sium Sisarum)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily, but it can also grow in shady areas. 
• Soil: Well-draining sandy or loamy soil.
• Water: Weekly watering to keep the soil constantly moist.
• Fertilizer: Not needed.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? The great thing about Skirret is that it’s quite pest and disease-resistant to most things. And, it’s pretty easy to grow!

8. Turkish Rocket (Bunias Orientalis)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: As long as it is moist and nutrient-rich, this plant can grow in any type of soil. 
• Water: Weekly to biweekly watering, ensuring the soil is constantly moist. 
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in spring. 
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Turkish Rocket can become weedy if not maintained properly. Ensure to cut them back every year or restrict them in a container for easier handling.

9. Water Celery (Oenanthe Javanica)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Moist to wet, nutrient-filled soil.
• Water: Weekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Not needed.
• Special Care: You can grow this plant in the shallow parts of a garden pond as it can tolerate wet soil.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Water celery is considered invasive in most parts of the US, so ensure not to plant this in an open garden. Restrict in a container or a man-made pond to keep it from spreading aggressively to local waterways.

10. Water Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, loamy soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Not needed.
• Special Care: This aquatic plant can also be grown in shallow waters of a man-made pond. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Water lotus can become weedy and rapidly spread to open waterways. So if you’re planting this in your garden, make sure it stays in its own container or garden pond.

References:

1. Artichoke | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (2011). Psu.edu. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/artichoke/infos
2. Chinese Yam – Plants For A Future. (n.d.). https://pfaf.org/plants/chinese-yam/
3. Dioscorea polystachya (Chinese Yam, Cinnamon Vine) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/dioscorea-polystachya/
4. HS665/MV132: Sea Kale—Crambe maritima L. (n.d.). Edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MV132
5. NOBANIS -Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet Bunias orientalis Species description. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://www.nobanis.org/globalassets/speciesinfo/b/bunias-orientalis/bunias_orientalis.pdf
6. Oenanthe javanica – Plant Finder. (n.d.). Www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=368194
7. Ramps, Allium tricoccum. (n.d.). Wisconsin Horticulture. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/ramps-allium-tricoccum/
8. Salsify and Scorzonera. (2010, July 21). College of Agricultural Sciences. https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/salsify-and-scorzonera-0
9. Sium sisarum Skirret, Suikerwortel (Netherlands), Crummock (Scotland), Zuckewurzel (Germany) PFAF Plant Database. (n.d.). Pfaf.org. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://pfaf.org/User/plant.aspx?LatinName=Sium+sisarum
10. Toensmeier, E., Ferguson, R., & Mehra, M. (2020). Perennial vegetables: A neglected resource for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and nutrition. PLOS ONE, 15(7), e0234611. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234611
11. Water Lotus – Nelumbo nucifera | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved November 25, 2022, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nelumbo-nucifera/common-name/water-lotus/