PERENNIAL VEGETABLES & HERBS Cinnamon Vine

Dioscorea batatas

A very pretty, perennial vine, Cinnamon Vine is also known as Chinese Yam and is grown for its large, edible tubers. The tasty tubers are eaten boiled, baked, fried, or mashed. Cinnamon Vine grows to about 8-10 ft. in height and looks very nice on a garden fence or wall. As with all perennials, Cinnamon Vine will die back in the winter and come back in the spring. In areas with very warm summers, Cinnamon Vine can spread quickly. Variegated Cinnamon Vine is a very attractive form featuring dark green foliage splashed with white. This variegation appears as the foliage matures. Size at Maturity: 8-10 ft. wide or tall. Pollination: Does not require pollination. Pests & Diseases: Appears to be free of pest and disease problems. Hardiness: You can grow Cinnamon vine where temperatures drop to as low as minus 25°F. Bearing Age: 2-3 years after planting. Bloom Time: Spring Ripening Time: Tubers are ready in fall Yield: 5-10 lbs. USDA Zone: 5

Dr. Yao Cinnamon Vine was obtained from Central China. Prized for its exceptionally large and tasty tubers, this popular variety is widely used in Chinese cooking. A delicious ingredient in soups, it is also very good baked, boiled, or grated and mixed with vinegar.

FUKI

Petasites japonica

A spectacular giant perennial, Fuki features huge round leaves that can grow to 2-1/2 ft. across. This amazing foliage is supported by 3 ft. long stalks that are a prized vegetable in Japan.

Size at Maturity: 3-4 ft. in height. Pests & Diseases: Fuki is not bothered by pests or diseases in our region. Hardiness: Fuki can be grown where temperatures fall to minus 20°F. USDA Zone: 5

Cardoon:

Cynara cardunculus Tasting like a cross between artichoke, celery and salsify, this delicious vegetable is very popular in France, Italy and Spain. The cardoon resembles a giant bunch of wide, flat celery. Cardoons can be found from midwinter to early spring. Look for stalks that are firm and have a silvery gray-green color. Refrigerate in a plastic bag up to 2 weeks. To prepare, remove tough outer ribs. Cut the inner ribs into the size indicated in the recipe and soak in acidulated water to prevent browning. Cardoons can be boiled, braised or baked. Precooking about 30 minutes in boiling water is suggested in many recipes. Though high in sodium, cardoons are a good source of potassium, calcium and iron. also called cardoni.

Horseradish Armoracia rusticana ‘Variegata’

Grow your own fresh and spicy horseradish! This large perennial produces the tangy horseradish which livens up mustard, dressings and other condiments. As with all perennials, Horseradish dies back in the fall and comes back in late spring. Dig roots year round for fresh horseradish. Our variety has attractive, creamy-white and green variegated foliage.

Size at Maturity: 3 ft. in height Pests & Diseases: Horseradish is not bothered by pests or diseases. Hardiness: Horseradish can be grown where temperatures fall to minus 20°F. Yield: 2-3 lbs. USDA Zone: 5

Oca Oxalis tuberosa

An attractive, bushy, succulent perennial with attractive clover-like foliage, Oca is easy to grow and produces abundant, thin-skinned, potato-like, light red tubers. Native to the highlands of South America, Oca was a favorite food of the Incas. Oca tubers are ready for harvest in early fall and if you take only the large ones, the small ones will grow the next season.

Size at Maturity: 10-12” in height. Pests & Diseases: Oca is not bothered by pests or diseases. Hardiness: Oca can be grown where temperatures drop to 0°F or below, or grow it as an annual and replant tubers in the spring. Bearing Age: Year of planting Ripening Time: Fall Yield: 2-3 lbs. USDA Zone: 7

CANNA EDULIS or ACHIRA Canna edulis

native to the West Indies and South America. They are vigorous growers and will reach 10 ft (3+ m) in nature, but usually reach about 4-6 feet (1-2 m) in containers. The tubers are used as food in the Andean Mountains and it is the source of Arrowroot starch in Australia. They are hardy in USDA zones 7-12. Need full sun to partial shade with a well-drained soil.

Comfrey

Symphytum officinale L.

Comfrey is a perennial herb of the borage family with a black, turnip-like root and large, hairy broad leaves that bears small bell-shaped white, cream, purple or pink flowers. It is native to Europe. Comfrey has long been recognized by both organic gardeners and herbalists for its great usefulness and versatility. Comfrey is a particularly valuable source of fertility to the organic gardener. It is very deep rooted and acts as a dynamic accumulator, mining a host of nutrients from the soil. These are then made available through its fast growing which, lacking fiber, quickly break down. There is also no risk of nitrogen robbery when comfrey is dug into the soil as the C:N of the leaves is lower than that of well-rotted compost. Comfrey is an excellent source of potassium, which is essential flower, seeds and fruit production. Permaculturists like to grow clumps of comfrey near fruit trees, using the leaves for mulching directly where they are needed, as seen in the picture.

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinali Rosemary) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Meditarranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiacae, which also includes many other herbs. Forms range from upright to trailing; the upright forms can reach 1.5 m tall, rarely 2 m. The leaves are evergreen, 2-4 cm long and 2-5 mm broad, green above, and white below with dense short woolly hairs. The flowers are variable in color, being white, pink, purple, or blue.

The name rosemary has nothing to do with the rose or the name Mary, but derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which literally means "dew of the sea", though some think this too may be derived from an earlier name.

Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris

Size at Maturity: 3-4 ft.

Pests & Diseases: Ostrich Fern is not bothered by pests or diseases.

Hardiness: Ostich Fern is hardy to minus 40°F.

USDA Zone: 2

This beautiful Northwest native fern will complement almost every landscape. Forming an attractive vase shape, its deep green fronds can grow 3-4 ft. in height and when young, make delicious fiddleheads that taste somewhat like asparagus. Ostrich Fern likes partial shade and cool moist soil.

ASPARAGUS POLLINATION: Not needed. SIZE: Ferns 3-5' tall. SUN OR SHADE: Full sun. PLANT SPACING: 18 inches. HARVEST TIME: Spring. PROPAGATION: Seed/roots. LIFE EXPECTANCY: 15 years. BEARING AGE: 3 year. HOW TO GROW SOIL REQUIREMENTS: pH of 6.5 to 7.5 Deep organic soil with good drainage. CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS: At planting, add good amounts of manure and compost. Dig trenches 8 to 10 inches deep and plant the crowns 12 to 18 inches apart. Some new methods call for shallower planting. Spread out the roots. Cover with 3-4 inches of soil. As the shoots emerge continue to fill with soil. Water, if weather is dry. Do not cut spears until the third season after planting. Then be sure to stop harvesting after June so fern growth can take place. This builds up the food reserves for the following year’s crop. Cut foliage when it yellows in the fall but not before and top dress with well rotted manure and compost. USING ASPARAGUS IN THE LANDSCAPE: The fern like foliage makes a perennial border or a background for flowers, lining a walkway. IN THE KITCHEN: Eat fresh, frozen or canned.

Udo (Jiu-yan-du-huo)

Japanese spikenard

Rare. Herbaceous perennial native to Japan. Perfectly cold hardy. A bold plant with elegant compound leaves, preferring to grow in the moist shade garden or along cool waterways. Udo produces asparagus-like shoots that are boiled in 2 changes of water and eaten as a cold vegetable or in soups. It is a delicacy. Udo root is considered to be pain and gas relieving, anti-inflammatory and a tonic for the lungs. Space plants 2 feet apart.

Sylvetta Arugula Diplotaxis muralis

3-5" PerennialThis tender perennial variety has classic arugula taste with a slightly sharper, peppery flavor. Young leaves are great in salads, larger leaves for braising. Yellow flowers make an attractive, edible garnish. Slightly smaller and slower growing than garden arugula, Sylvetta tolerates heat and thrives in cooler weather.

Garden Sorrel Rumex acetosa

Heirloom 2 ft. Hardy Perennial

The tart, lemony leaves accent a salad and make an excellent soup. It is also traditionally cooked with Ruby Orach Mountain Spinach. The leaves are high in Vitamin C, pointed, with light-green midribs and form a thick, 2 ft. diameter clump. Sow in flats 4-6 weeks before last spring frost. Can also be direct sown when soil has warmed in spring. During germination, keep entire seedbed evenly moist. Keep well-watered through maturity, allowing soil surface to dry between waterings. Harvesting tips. Harvest leaves or the whole plant before it goes to seed. Self-seeds.

Egyptian Walking Onion Allium cepa

The perennial onion that “walks” across your garden! Ideal for fall planting. Not your everyday onion. Each bulb produces a clump of stalks atop which form bulblets of hardy scallion-size onions. Held high above the plants these “floating” onions offer an early harvest of very sweet scallions in the spring. When left until summer they become much hotter in flavor. You can eat either end, but usually you eat the bulbs from the ground and plant the top bulbs for more onions. If not harvested the top bulbs will fall over and replant themselves, thus beginning their “walk” across the garden.

FRUITING VINES

Tasmania Vine Billardiera longiflora

Blue A unique Tasmanian beauty, this evergreen, compact vine features small, narrow, dark green foliage on twining stems and dainty, tubular, yellow green flowers. Following the flowers are profuse, porcelain-white, purplish-blue, or pink berries. Blue is very attractive with abundant, purplish-blue berries covering this compact, evergreen vining shrub. Size at Maturity: 6 ft. in height. Pollination: Tasmania Vine appears to be self-fertile. Pests & Diseases: Tasmania Vine is not bothered by pests or diseases. Hardiness: Hardy to about 10°F. Bearing Age: 1st year after planting. Bloom Time: Spring Ripening Time: Fall Yield: 1-2 pints USDA Zone: 8

HOPS Humulus lupulus

Hops are beautiful, fast-growing, perennial vines best known for their profuse, light green, fragrant flowers that are used for making beer. With their large and attractive flowers and dark green foliage, Hop plants also make attractive ornamentals and quickly cover a fence or wall. As with all perennial vines, Hops die back in the winter and come back in the spring Maturity: 20-25 ft. in height or spread. Pollination : Do not require pollination. Pests: Aphids and spider mites can damage are relatively easy to control with organic sprays Hardiness: Hops can be grown where temperatures drop to -20 Bearing Age: 2 Bloom Time: June-July Ripening Time: September-October Yield: 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. of dried flowers Special Care: Plant hops 3-5 feet – provide support for the vine USDA Zone: 4

KIWI

Actinidia polygama

A large family of vines native to Asia and Eastern Russia, Kiwis make beautiful ornamentals and provide delicious and nutritious fruit. In addition to the familiar fuzzy brown Kiwi, there are other species of Kiwi which are not so well known to American gardeners and consumers. While they differ in hardiness, vigor, and appearance, they all share Kiwis’ famous, sweet and delicious, emerald-green flesh (except Silver Vine, which has orange flesh). All Kiwis are great plants for the home gardener - attractive, productive, and easy to grow vines, free of pests and diseases All species of Kiwis are vines that need support. Fuzzy Kiwis and Hardy Kiwis are particularly vigorous and require strong support to hold up the plants and the abundant fruit. Arctic Beauty Kiwi is less vigorous and can easily be grown on a fence or smaller arbor. Space Hardy Kiwis and Fuzzy Kiwis 12-15 ft. apart. Arctic Beauty Kiwis can be spaced 8 ft. apart or less, with attentive pruning to keep them from crowding. To grow one male and one female of either the Fuzzy or Hardy Kiwis, you should have at least 12 ft. of space available. The Male plant needs much less space than the female and can be pruned more severely. Any male kiwi will pollinate any female of any variety kiwi.

HARDY KIWI Actinidia arguta

Ana : Virtually everyone who tries this fruit is captivated by its very sweet, almost mint-like flavor. Anna's attractive fruit is round to cylindrical in shape and can weigh up to 1/2 oz. Anna can produce over 100 lbs. of fruit per plant and is presently the most popular variety for commercial growing.

Male Hardy Kiwi Covered with fragrant, bright white flowers in May, this attractive, vigorous, and easy-to-grow variety is required to pollinate all female Hardy Kiwi varieties. One male plant can pollinate up to 8 female plants. Male plants do not bear fruit. Pollination: Require male pollination. Pests & Diseases: Kiwis have suffered no significant pest or disease problems in North America. Hardiness: Hardy Kiwi is hardy to approx. minus 25°F. Bearing Age: 3-4 years af ter planting Bloom Time: May Ripening Time: September-October Yield: 100+ lbs. USDA Zone: 4

FUZZY KIWI

Actinidia deliciosa Kiwis were discovered in China and brought to New Zealand where several varieties were selected and introduced.. HAYWARD: . Hayward has become the most popular of these and is the variety commonly found in markets. Prized by commercial growers for its large size, attractive shape, delicious flavor, and productivity, it is also the most widely grown variety in home gardens MALE FUZZY KIWI: Chosen for its long bloom period, our male variety is an excellent pollinator for our female varieties. It also can be used as a spectacular, vigorous, ornamental vine. Male plants do not bear fruit.

Arctic Kiwi Actinidia kolomikta

September Sun™ produces abundant crops of large, sweet and flavorful fruit. This variety has the most colorful foliage of all the female varieties we offer. September Sun’s™ attractive, emerald-green fruit ripens in late August. Pasha : A beautiful ornamental vine, our male selection has strikingly colorful variegation. This male plant can be grown by itself as an ornamental or used as a pollinator for the female varieties. One male plant can pollinate up to 8 female plants. Male plants do not bear fruit. Size at Maturity: 10-15 ft. wide or tall. Pollination: This male plant is required if fruit is desired can pollinate up to 8 female plants. Pests & Diseases: Kiwis have suffered no significant pest or disease problems in North America. Hardiness: Arctic Beauty Kiwi is hardy to minus 40°F Bearing Age: 1- 2 years after planting. Bloom Time: March

AKEBIA Akebia quinata

You will enjoy growing these vigorous climbers on fences, walls, or arbors. Cascading deep green foliage accents the profuse, wonderfully fragrant flowers, which range in color from very dark purple to white. Plant two varieties and you will be rewarded with a unique and unusual, light blue, 4"- 6" long, edible fruit. When ripe, it splits open to reveal a row of black seeds in clear sweet pulp. If you want your garden to stand out, this will do it! Native to Japan and China, Akebia is prized there for its ornamental value and its fruit.

Size at Maturity: 15-20 ft. wide or tall. Pollination: Plant two varieties for cross-pollination if fruit is desired. Pests & Diseases: Akebia is not bothered by pests or diseases Hardiness: Akebia is hardy to minus 25° F. Bearing Age: 2 - 3 years after planting. Bloom Time: April Ripening Time: Late September or October Yield: 10-15 lbs. USDA Zone: 4

PURPLE ROSE: A very attractive and vigorous vine, Purple Rose produces profuse amounts of fragrant, reddish-purple flowers. This striking flower display contrasts nicely with the finely cut, five-leafed, medium-green foliage. Purple Rose will bear large, sweet, light purple fruit if pollinated by another variety. SILVER BELLS™: The most vigorous of our varieties, Silver Bells™ can quickly cover a fence, wall, or arbor. Silver Bells™ produces profuse amounts of attractive, light pink, fragrant flowers and abundant, silver-blue fruit if pollinated by another Akebia variety.

Sweetshoot Bamboo Phyllostachys dulcis

Clump-forming bamboo bearing erect, medium green culms, and widely lance-shaped, smooth, bright green leaves, to 7 inches long. Bamboo is a common term for a large number of giant grasses that include many different species and varieties. Maximum Height: 40' Maximum Diameter: 2 3/4" Minimum Temperature: 0° F Does best in full sun. Spreading: Moderate

Phyllostachys dulcis is called "Sweetshoot Bamboo" because its shoots have a particularly good taste. It is one of the most important species for shoot production. Introduced from Zhejiang into the U.S. in 1908 when it was called Phyllostachys henryi but in 1945 Floyd McClure described it as dulcis.

NATIVES Tough leaf iris (Oregon iris)

Iris tenax

Iris tenax clump, Douglas Co., Oregon [photo by the Ralstons]

Comment: Wild Iris tenax forms attractive, large clumps. Its cold hardiness should prove useful to hybridizers trying to adapt PCIs to cooler regions outside the Pacific coastal zone. Native Americans used the tough leaf fibers for snares, nets and other cordage.

Oregon Grape

Mahonia aquifolium Oregon's State Flower, Oregon Grape is an attractive, evergreen shrub that grows to about 6 ft. in height and spread. Oregon Grape displays abundant, small yellow flowers in early spring accented by glossy green foliage, which often turns purple-red or bronze in the winter. Following the flowers are heavy crops of dark blue berries, which are too tart for fresh eating but make excellent jelly. These berries are likely a good source of anthocyanins and antioxidants. Oregon Grape is happy in either full sun or partial shade (give some shade in hot climates) and well-drained soil and is hardy to minus 20°F or below. USDA Zone 5. Oregon Grape is also quite drought resistant.

Latin Name: Size at Maturity: 6 ft. tall and wide Pollination: Oregon Grape is self-fertile. Pests & Diseases: Oregon Grape is not bothered by pests or diseases Hardiness: Oregon Grape is hardy to minus 20°F or below. Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting Bloom Time: Early spring Ripening Time: Late summer Yield: 1 quart USDA Zone: 5