Easy to grow from seed perennials

In your experience what have been some of the easiest to grow perennials from seed? Preferably Warm temperate to Sub tropics.

Easiest to grow where? Tropics? Temperate? Desert? Other?

Jordan Lowery wrote:Easiest to grow where? Tropics? Temperate? Desert? Other?

I guess clarification would help. I live in california zone 9a.
Although, I'm interested in hearing from anyones experience.

I live in zone 8b and have had good luck growing common sage, rosemary, lavender, winter savory, elecampane, rhubarb, echinaceae, columbine, and butterfly flower (Asclepias tuberosa) from seed. I also have a few types of perennial wildflowers that grew from a Pacific Northwest wildflower seed mix that I just broadcast in a patch, such as erysimum, Shasta daisies, and yarrow.

Joanne, do you grow elecampane as a food?

I grew elecampane for its medicinal value, as a food source for pollinators and seed-eating birds (I've watched juncos and wrens visit the seed-heads), and as a bio-accumulator, much like comfrey. I like to make cough drops and tinctures from the big, thick roots, usually along with marsh mallow, echinaceae, and astragalus. It's a wonderful herb for upper respiratory infections, boosts the immune system, and has shown to be effective against antibiotic-resistant infectious diseases such as mrsa in scientific studies. Elecampane is also a very striking, handsome ornamental plant. In my garden it grows to around 7' tall, with huge ovate leaves that have a whitish fuzzy bloom on the underside, and produces masses of 3-4" wide shaggy yellow flowers that bees and butterflies love. It likes partial shade and is a good companion plant for fruit trees.

By the way, my permaculture garden is only about 3 1/2 years old. My property was almost all lawn when I moved in, so I've been growing a lot of full-sun annuals until my trees and shrubs get established. Now that my trees are getting larger and making more shade, I'm finally starting to sow some perennial vegetables from seed that will tolerate the shadier conditions and be more permanent denizens of my maturing food forest. Just yesterday I directly sowed Good King Henry and minutina near a couple hardy almond trees. I hope they come up well!

Thank you, Joanne for all your input. My permaculture is new too. My wife and I bought our 5.65 acres a little over a year ago. The property is very wild, so I am doing everything from scratch. We are in the sierra nevada foothills.

During year one I planted various fruit trees (but not my food forest fruit trees). Year two I want to plant Medicinal plants, perennial vegetables, and expand my annual vegetable garden area. I am always looking for ideas and suggestions.

What elevation are you in these hills.

Add nettles to your list. Medicinal, eatable and useful. Easy to start from seed.

Asparagus does well from seed here

I'm at 2600 feet in elevation, my whole property slopes west to south west.

Ah, yes! Nettles! I'll have to get some seeds soon. I love asparagus! I could eat it at every meal.

During the summer my property get very hot. Since I have lived here my extreme high and low has been 109 and 27 degrees. I rarely get snow, and when I do it is gone by that day, unless we get another day of snow. I hope one day to be mostly self sufficient.

We have the same weather patterns.

Also from seed

Nanking bush cherry
Peach
Wild native plum
Chestnut
Walnut
Persimmon
Black locust
Redbud
Currant
Gooseberry
Artichoke
The list goes on were in a real great climate if you can catch and hold the winter rains for our dry summers.

Keep in mind each requires a different microclimate and soil requirements.

Where are you located, Jordan?

I do have persimmon and redbud planted. I want to plant the rest of whats on your list. Actually, I would ideally like to have a little of everything edible. I have to prioritize. While I have the land, I don't have the money.

I am having good luck with New Zealand Spinach. I have 3 small plants growing from seed. From what I have read, it is heat tolerant.

Yeah, I definitely need heat tolerant salad greens.