6 unusual vegetables for you to try out in your kitchen garden, vegetable plot or allotment. Some of them will need a fair bit of space, but others are easy to grow in containers. This latter being useful whether you have a small plot or unsuitable soil. I’ve included brief growing tips and you’ll find more help and ideas in the blog links at the end.
Our List
This is a mix of perennial and annual edible crops. Although they can all be started from seed, it may be simpler to buy small plants of the perennials, particularly if you’re short on space or time. In alphabetical order we have, by common name: –
- Amaranth
- Chickpeas
- Skirret
- Sorrel
- Tree Spinach
- Welsh Onion
The annuals are Amaranth, Chickpeas and Tree Spinach. Whereas Skirret, Sorrel and Welsh Onion are perennial plants.
Amaranth
You may know Amaranth as the ornamental plant ‘Love-lies-bleeding’. It was a classic Victorian bedding plant and has been in and out of favour as such ever since. However, its trailing red flowers have remained popular with floral arrangers as both a fresh and dried addition to a display.
But there is a lot more to Amaranth than mere decoration: most of the plant is edible. The young leaves can be eaten raw in salads, and the older leaves steamed like spinach (to which Amaranth is related as they’re both in the Amaranthaceae Family) or added to casseroles. Flowers can be eaten but are more usually left to go to seed and then the seeds eaten. The outer shell needs to be rubbed away but then the seeds can be lightly boiled, steamed or popped like corn. Or even ground and used as flour – it’s gluten-free.
Amaranth is one of the ‘ancient grains’ having been grown in southern and central America for some 8000 years. It’s a pseudocereal rather than a true one – which is one reason why its gluten-free. Both seeds and leaves do have a stronger taste than spinach or quinoa (another ancient grain) so more like chard. Amaranth smells and taste grassy, nutty, ‘herbal’, an interesting and pleasant combination.
Growing Tips
- Amaranth is not frost hardy so either sow outside once the weather is warmer, or start seeds off under cover. As it prefers not to have roots disturbed either sow in individual modules / space outside, or pick and eat the thinnings after 2 – 3 weeks. These can be eaten as microgreens.
- There are smaller varieties that can be grown in pots, but check the seed packet as some Amaranth reach 8 foot high!
- Once established Amaranth is unlikely to need watering except in drought situations.
The three types of Amaranth you’re likely to find are A. caudatus, the most usual garden ornamental and showiest flower; A. cruentus and A. hypochondriacus. All are edible plants.
Chickpeas
Cicer arietinum, Chickpeas, are a seriously underused vegetable in the UK. Whilst not many of us grow them on our allotments and in our gardens, there is at least one Norfolk farm growing a commercial crop .
A member of the pea family, Fabaceae aka Leguminosae, chickpeas have been cultivated for at least 9500 years. The peas, pods and green leaves can all be eaten and the peas are also ground into flour. Chickpeas you may know from eating hummus and tahini, but did you know that chickpea flour, also known as gram flour, is another gluten free foodstuff? (It makes yummy pancakes!)
Being a member of the pea family means that they have nitrogen-fixing nodules attached to their roots. Which means that they replace nitrogen in the soil for other plants to use, so they are an essential element when you’re practicing crop rotation. And if you mix all your veggies up they’re also critical for that natural, organic nitrogen replacement into the soil.
The toothed foliage is decorative and adds variety to an ornamental edible garden even before the pods form.
Ground and roasted chickpeas have been used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute in Europe since the 18th century and in the UK particularly during the WWI. It’s not the most well-known of alternatives, and I haven’t tried it, but I really should, as I adore chickpeas almost as much as my caffeine hit!
Growing Tips
- Chickpeas like a warm, not waterlogged soil, so you’ll need ensure drainage or grow in a raised bed.
- Start them off in individual modules to minimise roto disturbance. If seed is direct sown outdoors, thinnings can be eaten as microgreens.
- They’re drought tolerant, and get by without much watering once established.
Tree Spinach
A member of the Chenopodium family, Tree Spinach is related to Good King Henry, Chenopodium henricus, which is an annual plant. Now, Botanical Latin is important as there is another plant known as Tree Spinach, which is Cnidoscolus aconitifolius. But the one I’m referring to and growing is Chenopodium giganteum and is easily identifiable by its young magenta leaves. This slowly fades, leaving a red-purple flush before the maturing leaves become green.
The giganteum part of the name gives us a clue that this is no alpine plant but a veggie that shoots up to a potential 8 foot tall. It can be kept shorter by pinching out the growing tip However, it will then bush out more, so be prepared for width. Indeed, trimming it and eating the young leaves is a good way to keep it in check if you want to keep it smaller!
As for eating tree spinach, I use the young leaves in salads where the magenta colour can be appreciated. The older leaves are good chopped and used in stir fries, casseroles and soups.
Growing Tips
- Tree Spinach is happier in partial shade and poorer soil. In fact, don’t give it a nitrogen feed or it will take over!
- If you have the room to grow it in rows use it to provide shade for other veg.
- Seeds can be sown directly or in individual modules if you want an early start. The latter is probably best of you only want a few plants so you don’t mistake the seedlings for weeds.
And when Chenopodium giganteum grows up …
6 unusual vegetables – half-way and a note
You will notice a slight change in order from our original list. That’s because I thought it made more sense to put the annual plants of our 6 unusual vegetables together, and then follow with the perennial crop plants. I’m aware that some gardeners prefer a predominantly annual veggie plot whereas other gardeners like the easy maintenance of a mainly perennial vegetable garden.
Skirret
Sium sisarum, skirret, crummock, is ornamental and wildlife friendly with its pretty white flowers. And this is one of those times when you can let the vegetable plant flower without impairing the flavour of the edible root
Originally from China, it was a popular European vegetable from at least Roman times through to the Tudors. A great favourite of both Emperor Tiberius and Henry VIII, it fell out of favour with the introduction of new crops. Firstly the potato, secondly sugar cane. Which gives you a clue that this carrot and parsnip cousin has a floury texture and a sweet flavour with just a hint of pepper. Skirret was still bring grown in Victorian gardens, but has since fallen out of favour with most vegetable gardeners,. Personally, I think this is a pity as skirret an easy maintenance vegetable to grow.
Growing Tips
- This is a perennial vegetable, unlike the biennial carrot, so choose a good spot to grow it – morning sun or partial shade seems to suit it rather than full sun all day. In full sun it may dry out and lack of water can lead to woody, inedible stems.
- Skirret can be grown from seed, root division or by purchasing a crown. The seeds need to have a period of cold in order to break dormancy (stratification) so are best sown in autumn. The crown consists of a young root or small cluster of roots which you can plant in autumn or spring. As a comparison, think of it as similar to a dahlia tuber.
- The flowers are held on stems 3 foot high and attract pollinators for you annual veg to benefit from. Skirret roots are cropped from the second year, to enable them to grow to a decent size.
Sorrel
There are various types of sorrel which are edible (more of which another time) but here I’m referring to Rumex acetosa, also known as common sorrel, French sorrel or Polish sorrel. Rumex acetosa has been developed over the years so that it produces larger, more useful leaves than the wild forms, which are native across Europe. Another perennial vegetable, sorrel is cultivated for its spinach like leaves. The flavour is sharper, a result of higher levels of oxalic acid in the leaves than you’d find in spinach and chard. This is something to be aware of if you have any kidney or liver problems. However, in small amounts it is generally beneficial.
To add variety to your perennial veg bed, try also growing buckler sorrel, Rumex scutatus for a differently shaped leaf. And the variously named red-leaved, red-veined or bloody sorrel which is Rumex sanguineus, also makes a tasty and attractive addition to salads if picked when young.
Growing Tips
- An easy maintenance leafy veg that is happy on most soils although it prefers mildly acidic. Like most leafy veg its happier in a shady spot.
- Start by sowing seed in spring or buying a plant.
- Remember to remove the flower stalks as soon as you see them or the leaf flavour is likely to taste bitter rather than tart. Also, sorrel will easily self-seed , which is only useful up to a point (not among the roses for example!)
- The young leaves are more useful than the older, larger ones, so remove these if you haven’t cropped the plant for a while to encourage new growth.
- If planted in a sheltered location sorrel should provide you with a few fresh green leaves or microgreens for most of the year.
Welsh Onion
One of the perennial members of the onion family, Welsh onion, Allium fistulosum, is very versatile. Both the green leaves which look like stems and the white ‘bulb’ at the base can be eaten (Its more of a thickened stem than a round bulb).
Allium fistulosum are also known as spring onions or Japanese bunching onions. But whichever common name you prefer, their uses are the same: cut just a bit of leaf to add a delicate flavour to a soup; harvest a bulb to chop finely and throw in a salad; or use complete stem and bulb raw and cooked.
A hardy evergreen vegetable, Welsh onions provide a fresh onion flavour for the kitchen even in winter. They also make a practical edging for a raised bed vegetable garden, being a good companion plant for brassicas and root crops . And they can help to deter rabbits too.
Growing Tips
- Welsh onions can be started by seed or purchasing a plant. Once you have a plant or plants, they can be divided every 3 years to give you both more plants and fresh new growth.
- Harvest green leaves at any time of the year by cutting them close to the base. Only take a few from each plant or allow the plants to regrow well between pickings.
- Whole onions can also be pulled from the clump and the young stems can be treated as spring onions.
- The flowers are edible too with a mild onion flavour.
6 unusual vegetables – annual vs perennial
This is not about ‘which is best’ as they’re all good. It’s more about which will suit you and your kitchen garden, vegetable plot, allotment or balcony garden.
For example, whether you grow the annuals or perennials could be based on the time you have available. Once established the perennials need little care.
It may suit you to grow vegetables in pots rather than in raised beds or the ground. Indeed if you’re in rented accommodation it may be more practical to do so, although if planted in the ground, the perennials could be dug up when you move. Which may be a good idea if you had issues finding the plant in the first place (I’m thinking of skirret in particular). The amaranth and tree spinach get a bit large to be grown in most pots, but all the others would be fine.
If you’re short on space then my top two to grow would be sorrel and Welsh onion. They both have a longer harvesting period so really earn their keep. I’d also say that they’re the easiest ones for beginner gardeners.
The annuals in our list win on the decorative front though. Amaranth in particular makes a feature in a vegetable plot or ornamental border. And you could still use it as an edible crop even when grown among flowers and shrubs. The height tree spinach achieves in such a short space of time plus the young magenta leaves also make it a contender for inclusion in an ornamental edible garden. The chick peas are more delicate in looks and would look pretty twining around a small obelisk.
Novice gardeners would find amaranth and tree spinach easy to grow.
And finally
If these 6 unusual vegetables have enthused you but you’re not sure how to get started, well funnily enough, I know someone who could help you with that, so do get in touch. Plews offers planting designs, garden designs, consultancy visits and 1-2-1 gardening courses to support you and improve your garden.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, ideas for edible gardens and more, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below and our monthly Tipsheet You could come and find us on Instagram – @plewsgd Pinterest and Facebook too.
And on that note, you can have a peek at my new garden in the (new) Instagram account @spitfiresandslowworms and for those of you who prefer Facebook – Spitfires and Slow Worms where I found overgrown apple trees and have had to grow other fruit and veg in containers as there were no borders, just weed filled spaces!
And if you’d like some personal help, we offer a mix of practical sessions and theory in our bespoke Gardening Lessons and Courses. There’s a blog link below plus a pdf download with more info
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