ISO perennial vegetables for Zone 8a

Good morning!

As I further my research into building the most fertile, healthy, and diverse soil food web, I have reached my next goal milestone. In order to step my game up to the next level, I need to start incorporating more perennials into my garden. However, I have no idea where to even start for my area. I feel like I am just between temperate and subtropical, and even though sometimes this means I can grow more plants, it can also be quite restrictive.

I already grow a healthy selection of nuts, grapes, figs, blueberries, goji berries, blackberries, raspberries, and lemons; but I am looking to incorporate perennial vegetables and greens.

Any advice on these varieties and where to look for these varieties would be much appreciated!  

I am located in the midlands of South Carolina, Zone 8a. We typically have 1-10 nights of sub 25 degree cold, broken up by many days in the mid 60's with lows in the low 40's each winter. Summer can get rough as sometimes we can go several weeks without it getting below 80 at night. We usually get at least a dozen days over 100 per summer too.

I'm in a desert region of 8a, similar except summer here is three months of over 100F, and very low humidity, low to no rain.

Artichoke did good for me last year.  They're still green and growing well right this minute with several nights in the twenties.  20F right now, so I'm not sure if they'll die back some or not.

Asparagus is doing well for over five years now.  Not great harvests, but that's more because of my neglect than anything else.

I'd like to try tree collards, against a south facing wall.  Not sure if they could handle it, but in the right microclimate maybe.

Like you, some of the others you mentioned.  Gojis do really well here it seems.

Grapes do well here.  

Dino Kale will survive the winter no problem here, but I think it's a bi-annual, although I kind of think I read that some people cut the flowers off and they keep going for years.

I just planted a bed of strawberries a couple of weeks ago.  Hoping they do well for years to come.

Mainly interested in what the other experts on this site have to add.  I want to focus on perennials that do well in our zone as well.

Good luck!

I think you fit in the "Hot and Humid" category in this list of perennial vegetables by climate:  http://www.perennialsolutions.org/a-global-inventory-of-perennial-vegetables

Tyler Ludens wrote:I think you fit in the "Hot and Humid" category in this list of perennial vegetables by climate:  http://www.perennialsolutions.org/a-global-inventory-of-perennial-vegetables

This is exactly what I needed! I will probably purchase his book as well.

Thank you!

S Tenorman wrote:I'm in a desert region of 8a, similar except summer here is three months of over 100F, and very low humidity, low to no rain.

Artichoke did good for me last year.  They're still green and growing well right this minute with several nights in the twenties.  20F right now, so I'm not sure if they'll die back some or not.

Asparagus is doing well for over five years now.  Not great harvests, but that's more because of my neglect than anything else.

I'd like to try tree collards, against a south facing wall.  Not sure if they could handle it, but in the right microclimate maybe.

Like you, some of the others you mentioned.  Gojis do really well here it seems.

Grapes do well here.  

Dino Kale will survive the winter no problem here, but I think it's a bi-annual, although I kind of think I read that some people cut the flowers off and they keep going for years.

I just planted a bed of strawberries a couple of weeks ago.  Hoping they do well for years to come.

Mainly interested in what the other experts on this site have to add.  I want to focus on perennials that do well in our zone as well.

Good luck!

Thank you for sharing this. Good luck to you as well.