10 Cold Climate Vegetables

Although there are many climates colder than mine (I live in Michigan US, Zone 6a) having a shorter season can be challenging for both foragers and gardeners.

Today what I have for you is a list of the top cold hardy crops that you should consider if you live in a colder zone (and no, not all of these will survive zone 2. Not much does!)

Some of these are things you can forage in colder climates that you should consider growing. There’s a lot of benefit to growing wild plants in the garden!

Many of these are also great additions to your food forest (Read my article on food forests HERE)

1. Rhubarb

Rhubarb is on most people’s lists of cold hardy plants for a reason! It tastes tart and is fibrous, but juicy and excellent for baking.

Typically people will harvest in the spring for pies, jams, beverages, bbq sauce, or in other savory dishes and desserts.

Rhubarb is pretty versatile and requires very little attention in my experience which makes it an excellent food forest crop.

Light: Partial sun to full sun (mine is in a pretty shady spot)

Zone: 3-8

Growth Habit: Perennial

2. Ramps

I’ve mentioned ramps once before and I’ll do an article on them in the spring, but here’s a basic overview:

Ramps are a wild leafy onion species that grows across much of the Midwest and Eastern half of the United States. They taste very much like garlic and bunching onions which is a delicious flavor in spring soups, salads, stir fries, in butter, or pickled.

Many people choose to harvest the bulbs claiming that they taste the best, but in my experience I tend to favor the leaves more. The bulbs are great, but they take so long to grow that I’d rather have a harvest of leaves every year than wait 5 years for more to grow bulbs from seed!

These make an excellent addition to the food forest or garden and I hope more growers attempt to grow them!

Light: Full shade to partial sun (ramps also do just fine in dappled sunlight)

Zone: typically only 3-7

Growth Habit: Perennial

3. Brassicas

This one encompasses a lot of different vegetables, but I didn’t want to list each one individually here like other articles and blog posts do.

Brassicas are any plant in the cabbage/mustard family (and generally refers to those in the Brassica genus.)

This includes:

• Collard Greens

• Cabbage

• Brussel Sprouts

• Cauliflower

• Broccoli

• Cress

• Tatsoi

• Bok Choy

• Pak Choi

• Kale

• Rutabaga

• Turnips

• Mustard Greens

• Kohlrabi

This group of vegetables is generally very high in vitamins, minerals, and vitamin C. You can find wild brassicas (like cress and mustard greens) but you can cultivate many of your own.

One thing to note is that while most brassicas are biennials (they flower and go to seed after the second year) they are still perfectly edible and productive for many years to come. My kale plants have been alive for almost 5 years now and continue to keep green leaves well into January with no protection.

Light: Full sun to partial shade (depending on the brassica and variety)

Zone: Generally 3-10 but there are exceptions. I have heard of people growing kale in zone 2b.

Growth Habit: Biennial (with exceptions)

4. Claytonia

Claytonia (also called “Miner’s lettuce”) is a very cold tolerant leafy green that is rich in vitamin C, calcium, iron, fiber, protein, and essential omega 3 fatty acids.

While I have not encountered any in the wild and haven’t grown any myself, my grandma has grown it. Claytonia has a refreshing leafy green flavor that’s like an improved version of every other leafy green you can imagine.

Typically this is used how you’d use any leafy green in soups, salads, stir fries, rice bowls, eggs, or as a side dish.

It is pretty easy to cultivate and tends to self-seed in areas that it does well.

Light: Shade to dappled sun

Zone: Any with 40 days of mild temperatures!

Growth Habit: Self-Seeding Annual

5. Perennial Herbs

This is another one I’m bundling together not because they’re all the same thing, but because other lists I’ve seen tend to list one item at a time to fill up the article and I want to give as much info as I can here for you!

Cold climate herbs to consider are ones that either self-seed easily or are perennials that come back season after season. This includes:

• Sage

• Mints

• Lemon balm

• Thyme

• Chives

• Oregano

• Parsley

• Cilantro (self seeding)

• Comfrey

• Dill (self seeding)

• Lavender

• Bergamot

• Rosemary (Normally this isn’t on people’s lists, but my rosemary has survived two winters here in Michigan and last year had a pretty nasty storm around December)

Herbs offer a lot in terms of medicinal and culinary benefits and can even help cleanse your system of heavy metals (like cilantro).

If you live in a climate that can support them, herbs are definitely worth having in the garden!

Light: Generally full sun, but with some exceptions

Zone: 3-11 depending on the species and variety

Growth Habit: Perennials, self-seeding annuals

6. Sorrel

Sorrel is a leafy vegetable with a lemon-like tang to it. I personally tend to like the flavor.

It is a minimal care perennial with a lot of nutritional value and pretty leaves.

I like to eat it raw, however it would also make a great addition to meals with fish, or in soups.

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Zone: 4-8 (but can be grown as an annual in colder areas)

Growth Habit: Perennial

7. Walking Onions (Aka Tree Onions)

I don’t have any good pictures of them yet, but I’ve been growing out some walking onions from my mother for the past two years.

This is a perennial plant in the onion family (Allium). This is important because it means it is much lower maintenance than conventional onions.

Rather than forming a flower head like most onions would, this plant forms a cluster of bulblets at the top of the green stalk and bends downward from the weight. The bulblets will then often plant themselves where they fall (hence “walking” onion.)

I love onions, so this one was particularly exciting when my mom gifted them to me. The bulblets easily root wherever they’re planted and grow large thick green shoots that can be eaten like scallions. The thing that makes them an interesting perennial is that they grow smaller bulbs around the main onion bulb.

So what most people tend to do is harvest the onions around the outside and leave the middle one so they get a continual harvest of onions every year without having to plant onions from sets or seeds!

Supposedly they taste like stronger shallots (I haven’t had the bulbs yet since I keep replanting them for future harvests) and the greens can be eaten even into the winter with snow on the ground.

Light: Full sun

Zone: 3-9

Growth Habit: Perennial

8. Violets

This one is a little less conventional, but I think it’s worth exploring.

Violets are edible (I’ll do an article on violets one of these springs) and make a great early groundcover and food source.

The flowers can be used as flavorings in desserts, and the greens can be eaten in soups and salads. They tend to grow in richer soils that are fungal-dominated from what I’ve seen in the wild.

My grandma has made violet jelly and it tastes surprisingly fruity!

Light: Partial Shade, dappled sun

Zone: 3-9

Growth Habit: Perennial

9. Asparagus

Asparagus is a pretty popular vegetable in the US.
The tender green shoots pop up in the spring and come back year after year. Asparagus also reseeds itself well in some areas making it a great food source.

Typically I like asparagus grilled but you can find hundreds of recipes online for how best to prepare it.

This is one that I’m hoping to add to my own garden this coming year.

Light: Can tolerate partial shade, but full sun gives better flavor.

Zone: 3-11

Growth Habit: Perennial

10. Chard

I really love chard. I think it’s an underrated leafy green that us Americans really need to embrace more.

It’s mild, it’s got a good texture, it grows pretty easily, and it self-seeds easily.

I use it in rice bowls, egg dishes, stir fries, and salads but it’s pretty versatile.

Light: Full sun to partial shade

Zone: 2-11

Growth Habit: Biennial (Reseeds easily, can be grown as an annual)

I’ll have to make a part 2 because there are many more that I can think of off the top of my head!

Living in a colder climate doesn’t have to mean a lack of abundance. There are plenty of crops you can grow in the North.

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