Zone 11 – 9 Perennial Vegetables You Need to Grow

It’s hot and it’s humid (usually) in zone 11, but luckily, that means a year-long growing season for your plants! Annuals are hard work, if you are looking for something a bit more low maintenance, why not try planting perennials?

And just in case you live in a different 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
• 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 to Grow Easily in Zone 12
• 9 Best Perennial Vegetables to Plant in Zone 13

Here are 9 perennial vegetables you should try in your zone 11 garden:

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1. Bitter Melon/Bitter Gourd (Momordica Charantia)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining sandy or loamy, slightly acidic soil with pH 5.5 to 6.7.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant. 
• Special Care: 
  • Only plant the seeds once the soil has warmed up, ideally around 70°F and is sufficiently damp.
  • Place trellis supports like poles or stakes during the initial planting, at least 6 feet high. It will allow the plant’s vines to climb up and develop better instead of letting the fruits rot on the ground.
  • Apply mulch around the plant to retain as much moisture in the soil while keeping the roots cool. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? 

• Harvest Bitter Melon/Bitter Gourd after 40 to 63 days of planting. Ensure to collect them regularly to encourage new fruit growth, but leave some behind so they will drop their seeds and grow again.
• If your plant doesn’t produce any fruits, pollination may not have occurred due to lack of bees or other pollinating insects. You can do one of the following things:
  • You can hand-pollinate the flowers yourself using a Q-tip, transferring the pollen from the male blooms to the female blooms. The male flowers grow at the end of a long, thin stem and have a darker yellow color in the center. They will bloom for just one day before falling off. The female flowers stay on the plant and, once pollinated, turn into fruits.
  • If you prefer to let nature take its course, then attract pollinators to do all the work for you by providing a good garden space for them. Read our ‘Beneficial Bugs’ article.

2. Calaloo/Chinese Spinach/Hin Choy (Amaranthus Tricolor)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight with some shade for protection.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Pinch the growing tips often to encourage more branching and new leaf growth.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Calaloo leaves after 5 to 6 weeks of planting, ensuring to leave some parts behind to regrow again.

3. Chayote/Vegetable Pear/Mango Squash (Sechium Edule)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Well-draining soil.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: 
  • Provide trellis support to aid in the plant’s climbing tendencies and grow more fruits.
  • Prune the vines back every year to manage their growth as they can extend up to 10 feet.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Chayote while they are still young after 4 to 5 months of planting.

4. French Sorrel (Rumex Scutatus)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight with some shade.
• Soil: Well-draining soil.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out. But it can handle dry periods once it is established. 
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Hand-pull weeds around the plant on a weekly basis to prevent nutrient competition. Alternatively, you can place mulch around the plant to suppress weeds and keep the soil damp. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? 

• Harvest young French Sorrel leaves regularly, which are known to be more tender and less bitter than larger and older leaves.
• Only eat this plant in moderation as it contains high amounts of oxalic acid which may cause health problems for some people.

5. Gai Lon/Chinese Broccoli/Kai Lan (Brassica Alboglabra)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight with some shade for protection.
• Soil: Well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: Where possible, choose slow-bolting varieties of this plant like ‘Jade Pagoda’. Because they are a cool season crop, they can quickly grow in warmer climates and flower sooner, turning the leaves too bitter for consumption.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest young leaves and stems of Gai Lon once the first flower stalk appears but before it blooms. You can either pluck the outer leaves first to extend the harvest or collect it in a bunch by cutting about 6 to 8 inches from the top of the plant.

6. Breadfruit (Artocarpus Altilis)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant.
• Special Care: 
  • Grow this plant from seeds or from suckers taken off an established tree.
  • Prune the branches back every year to keep it at a manageable height for easier harvesting.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Breadfruit before it drops from the tree, when it is firm to the touch and greenish-yellow. Use a sharp knife to cut it from the branch and hang the fruit upside down to let the milky sap or latex flow freely from the stem. Ensure to peel Breadfruit and cook it thoroughly before consuming it as a vegetable. Otherwise, you can leave it on the tree until it ripens to a brownish-yellow color.

7. Plantains (Musa × Paradisiaca)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining, deep soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out. During dry seasons, it is necessary to do frequent watering in keeping the plant hydrated.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost around the plant. You can also feed it an all-purpose, slow-release fertilizer monthly, taking care to rake it into the soil around it and avoiding the trunk.
• Special Care: Hand-pull weeds on a weekly basis until the plant is tall and well-established enough to sustain itself.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Plantains take about a year to mature and bear fruit for the first time, so you can only harvest then.

8. Scarlet Runner Beans (Phaseolus Coccineus)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Moist soil filled with nutrients.
• Water: Weekly watering, after the top 1-2 inches of soil dries out.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost. 
• Special Care: 
  • Apply mulch around the plant to retain moisture and keep the roots cool in the soil. 
  • Use trellis supports as a structure for the plant’s vines to climb on.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Scarlet Runner Beans while they are still young and before they develop seeds to enjoy their tender and sweet flavor. You can also allow the pods to develop seeds which can be left alone or also collected, dried, and cooked for other dishes.

9. Water Chestnut (Eleocharis Dulcis)

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight.
• Soil: Moist, sandy or loamy soil. Alternatively, you can also grow them in water.
• Water: Daily to weekly watering, ensuring a constant shallow pool of water for the plant to float in.
• Fertilizer: Unnecessary.
• Special Care: Restrict this plant in a container or isolated garden pond to prevent it from spreading to open waterways. It is not known to be weedy or invasive but it’s better to err on the side of caution with any aquatic plants.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Water Chestnut tubers after 7 months of planting. Leave some behind to ensure they regrow again the next year.

References:

1. Artocarpus altilis – Plant Finder. (n.d.). Www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=282739
2. Brassica oleracea (Alboglabra Group) (Chinese Broccoli, Chinese Kale, Gai Laan, Kai Lan) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/brassica-oleracea-alboglabra-group/
3. Calaloo – Amaranthus tricolor | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amaranthus-tricolor/common-name/calaloo/
4. Chayote – Gardening Solutions – University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. (n.d.). Gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/chayote.html
5. Eleocharis dulcis – Plant Finder. (n.d.). Www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b811
6. Growing sorrel in home gardens. (n.d.). Extension.umn.edu. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-sorrel
7. HS1271/HS1271: Bitter Melon—an Asian Vegetable Expanding in Florida. (n.d.). Edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/HS1271
8. Oct 21, F. | H. 1306 | P., & Print, 1999 |. (n.d.). Chinese Vegetables. Home & Garden Information Center | Clemson University, South Carolina. https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/chinese-vegetables/
9. Plantain | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/plantain/infos
10. Resources, U. of C., Division of Agriculture and Natural. (n.d.). Chayote. Mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu. https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/vegetables/chayote/
11. Resources, U. of C., Division of Agriculture and Natural. (n.d.). Sorrel. Mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://mgsantaclara.ucanr.edu/garden-help/herbs/sorrel/
12. Scarlet Runner Bean, Phaseolus coccineus. (n.d.). Wisconsin Horticulture. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/scarlet-runner-bean-phaseolus-coccineus/