When to plant · 5 plants

Perennial vegetables

Asparagus, rhubarb and other crops that come back every spring. Pick one for its dates in your town and how to grow it.

Planting order

When each one first goes in around Portland, starting indoors where that comes first. Colder towns run later.

Early spring: Asparagus, Rhubarb, Artichokes, Horseradish, Sorrel

Planting windows at a glance

Main planting window in five reference towns. Each plant's page has every town.

Plant	Portland	Seattle and Tacoma	Bend and Redmond	Spokane	Boise and Meridian
Asparagus	Mar 15 – Apr 26	Mar 15 – Apr 26	May 12 – Jun 23	Apr 15 – May 27	Apr 1 – May 13
Rhubarb	Mar 1 – Apr 12	Mar 1 – Apr 12	Apr 28 – Jun 9	Apr 1 – May 13	Mar 20 – May 1
Artichokes	Mar 15 – Apr 26	Mar 15 – Apr 26	May 12 – Jun 23	Apr 15 – May 27	Apr 1 – May 13
Horseradish	Mar 1 – Apr 12	Mar 1 – Apr 12	Apr 28 – Jun 9	Apr 1 – May 13	Mar 20 – May 1
Sorrel	Mar 1 – Apr 26	Mar 1 – Apr 26	Apr 28 – Jun 23	Apr 1 – May 27	Mar 20 – May 15

Growing perennial vegetables in the Northwest

Perennial vegetables come back every spring from the same roots, so plant them at the edge of the garden or in their own bed where they won't be dug up with the annual crops. Asparagus and rhubarb can produce for 15 years or more, so prepare the soil well with compost before planting.

Patience is part of the deal. Don't harvest asparagus the first year and pick only lightly the second, and leave rhubarb alone its first year so the roots build up. Artichokes are the exception: in mild west-side gardens they often send up buds the first summer, though a hard winter can kill them. Sorrel is ready to pick within weeks.

Horseradish and sorrel spread if you let them, by roots and by seed, so give them a corner or a container. Rhubarb and asparagus are the easiest places to start, and both handle cold winters on either side of the Cascades.

Common questions

What vegetables come back every year in the Northwest?

Asparagus, rhubarb, sorrel and horseradish come back every spring on both sides of the Cascades. Artichokes come back in mild west-side gardens but often die in cold eastern winters.

When can I start harvesting asparagus?

Pick lightly the second spring after planting crowns and fully from the third year. Stop when the spears get thin, and let the rest grow into ferns that feed the roots.

Are rhubarb leaves poisonous?

Yes. Eat only the stalks. The leaves contain oxalic acid and should go in the compost.