What are the best edible spring plants in California?
Finding the best edible spring plants in California was not as easy as I thought. Some require extensive care, others are prone to pests, and lots are just not simple & quick enough to grow.
That’s why I created a list of the 10 Edible Spring Plants in California!
This ultimate guide will give you the best edible spring plants, why you should eat them, and where to find them.
Read THIS Before Eating Spring Plants in California
Knowing what hardiness zone California is in is critical to understanding the best vegetables that can be grown in the spring.
It can be the difference between your vegetable garden thriving and providing a bountiful yield or producing nothing.
California is mostly considered Hardiness Zone 5, while some of the lower-level regions are Hardiness Zone 6.
10 Edible Spring Plants in California
#1. Lettuce
Popular Varieties: Butterhead, Boston, Loose Leaf
Why Grow and Eat Lettuce in California Spring?
Cold Hardy:
- Lettuce thrives in California’s cooler spring months. Unlike other vegetables, this plant can grow even when there is snow or frost on the ground.
Low-Maintenance:
- Lettuce may be the easiest vegetable to grow. You do not need to fertilize it, only need to water it once a week, and it can be planted in any soil.
Perfect for ANY Garden:
- Lettuce is perfect for urban gardening and even gardeners with little space. It is great in gardening containers, raised garden beds, and even indoors.
Harvested All Year:
- Lettuce can be harvested all year. The more you harvest lettuce the more it will grow.
THESE Could Harm Your Lettuce
Pests:
- Deer, Rabbits, & Squirrels LOVE Lettuce. If left unprotected these pests will eat your vegetable before it can even grow.
Slugs:
- You’ll most likely find slugs on your lettuce in spring when the weather is cool or wet. If you plant it in the shade where the soil is damp you should expect slugs too.
Extreme Heat:
- While rare in California Spring, this can cause your lettuce to flower and become inedible. Make sure to plant your lettuce in partial shade to avoid this.
Additional Resources
Learn How To Grow Lettuce HERE
#2. Kale
Popular Varieties: Curly, Lacinato, Red Russian, Ornamental
Why Grow and Eat Kale in California Spring?
Cold Hardy:
- Kale is the hardiest vegetable when it comes to cold in California. Unlike any other vegetable on this list, Kale can be grown throughout the entire year.
Ornamental:
- Kale is the only vegetable on this list that can also be considered an ornamental plant. This means it can add color, features, and beauty to any type of garden.
Perfect in Pots:
- If there is any vegetable that can be grown in gardening pots in California, it’s Kale. This is one of the most adaptive vegetables, making it perfect for beginner gardeners in California.
THESE Could Harm Your Lettuce
Aphids
- Like many other vegetables, aphids are one insect you don’t want. Aphids are especially prevalent in California and can stunt or kill your kale.
Extreme Heat
- Like lettuce Kale does not tolerate extreme heat. After just a week in temperatures over 90 degrees, Fahrenheit and direct sunlight Kale can flower and become inedible.
Additional Resources
Learn How To Grow Kale HERE
#3. Peas
Popular Varieties: Snow peas, sugar snap, english peas
Why Grow & Eat Peas in California Spring?
Thrives in Cold:
- While some vegetables are cold-hardy, Peas thrive in California’s cold spring weather. If you want the tastiest peas you should grow them in late fall or early spring.
Great for Vertical Gardening:
- Peas are one of the few vegetables that are perfect for vertical gardening. Vertical Gardening is popular in the cities of California and even in the suburbs where land for horizontal growing is scarce.
Perfect in Raised Garden Beds:
- Peas do not need much room. They also grow great among other vegetables and plants. This makes it perfect for raised garden beds, which is one of the most popular techniques of gardening in California.
THESE Could Harm Your Peas
Pests:
- Deer, Rabbits, & Squirrels LOVE start to come out and become hungry in spring. One of the first plants they eat is peas. Whether protected or unprotected pests pose a risk to growing peas in California.
Any temperature but cold:
- While most vegetables grow in California’s summer heat, peas cannot. Any temperature, but cold will pose a risk to growth & tastiness.
Additional Resources
Learn How to Grow Peas HERE
#4. Oregano
Popular Varieties: Italian, Common, Greek, Cuban
Why Grow & Eat Oregano in California Spring?
Cold-Hardy:
- Oregano is the hardiest herb when it comes to cold in California. Unlike any other herb on this list, Oregano can be grown throughout the entire year.
Ornamental:
- Oregano can also be considered an ornamental plant that is perfect for edges, garden containers, and traditional gardens. This means it can add color, features, and beauty to any type of yard.
THESE Could Harm Your Oregano
Invasive:
- Herbs are rarely invasive plants. But herbs can be. If you don’t prune your oregano it can quickly take over a garden and hurt your other plants.
Additional Resources
Learn How To Grow Oregano HERE
#5. Arugula
Popular Varieties: Astro, Rocket, Italian Cress
Why Grow & Eat Arugula in California Spring?
Thrives in the heat & cold:
- Arugula is one of the most versatile vegetables. Some varieties can be grown in cold weather, some can be grown in warmer weather, and some are perfect to be grown in both types of weather. This makes it ideal for planting and growing in the spring.
Provides All-Spring Harvest:
- Arugula is one of the few vegetables that you will harvest from as early as fall to early spring if planted right. This means you will be able to enjoy or store it all year long.
Ground Cover:
- Arugula is an excellent ground cover if you want an edible herb that will also prevent weeds and take up large amounts of space in your garden with very few seeds.
THESE Could Harm Your Arugula
Birds, Squirrels, Rabbits, & Chipmunks:
- These pests will generally not harm your actual squash arugula. What they will do though is immediately eat arugula leaves if you do not protect them with netting or rodent spray.
Additional Resources
Learn How to Grow Arugula HERE
#6. Mint
Popular Varieties: Peppermint, Spearmint, Chocolate
Why Grow & Eat Mint in California Spring?
Thrives cold:
- While some herbs are cold-hardy, Mint thrives in California’s cold weather. If you want the tastiest peas you should grow them in early spring.
Low Maintenance:
- Mint is the easiest herb to grow. You do not need to fertilize it, barely need to water it, it can be planted in any soil, and you never have to prune it!
Perfect in Containers:
- The best spot to plant mint is in gardening containers. This is because you can grow them anywhere, such as your house, gardening pot, and even a window box.
THESE Could Harm Your Mint
Invasive:
- Mint is incredibly invasive. This means it will spread in your garden and potentially kill your other plants within a year. Because of this most gardeners will become frustrated and naturally destroy their mint.
Additional Resources
Learn How to Grow Mint HERE
#7. Spinach
Popular Varieties: Flat, Savoy, Semi-Savoy
Why Grow & Eat Spinach in California Spring?
Cold-Hardy:
- Lettuce thrives in California’s cooler spring months. Unlike other vegetables, this plant can grow even when there is snow or frost on the ground.
Perfect for Gardening Pots:
- Spinach is one of the few vegetables that can be grown any time of the year in pots. No matter what the weather is like you can grow spinach in gardening pots on your deck, patio, or raised garden bed and enjoy this nutritional vegetable in the spring.
THESE Could Harm Your Peppers
Pests
- Like lettuce, collard greens, and kale pests love spinach. They will particularly feast on kale in the spring months when food and vegetation start to become scarce.
Additional Resources
Learn How to Grow Spinach HERE
#8. Kohlrabi
Popular Varieties: Purple Vienna, Kossak, Azur Star
Why Grow & Eat Kohlrabi in California Spring?
Thrives in Droughts:
- Unlike other vegetables, Kohlrabi does not require much water or snow during spring to grow to make this the perfect vegetable to grow in spring.
Great for Raised Garden Beds:
- Kohlrabi is the perfect vegetable to be planted in raised garden beds. When planted correctly it can grow and be harvested all year.
THESE Could Harm Your Kohlrabi
Insects:
- Kohlrabi is one of the few vegetables that require constant insect control. Insects can quickly destroy your kohlrabi leaves before flowers grow and can destroy the vegetable itself if not properly cared for.
Hot Weather:
- If the weather becomes too hot you can expect your kohlrabi to become stunted, flower, and become inedible.
Additional Resources
Did you know Kohlrabi is fast becoming one of America’s favorite vegetables to eat no matter what time of year it is?
#9. Lavender
Popular Varieties: Popular Varieties: English Lavender, French Lavender, Lavadin
Why Grow & Eat Lavender in California Spring?
Thrives in the Heat:
- These low-maintenance herbs love the heat. The hotter the summer the better they do. And the longer summer goes on the more lavender you will have.
Perfect Ornamental Gardens:
- Lavender can also be considered an ornamental plant that is perfect for lawns, edges, garden containers, and traditional gardens. This means it can add color, features, and beauty to any type of yard.
Fits in ALL Gardens:
- Regardless of whether you live in northern or southern California lavender grows great in all types of gardens. I especially love growing them in raised garden beds and garden containers.
Insect Hardy:
- If you have trouble with insects infecting your herbs in California then you should plant lavender. This herb is one of the few in California that you won’t have to worry about insect infestation all year.
THESE Could Harm Your Lavender
Cold:
- When the weather turns cold then your lavender won’t die, but it will stop growing, lose its fragrance, and won’t be ready to harvest until it grows back the following year.
Additional Resources
Learn How to Grow Lavender HERE
#10. Chamomile
Popular Varieties: German & Roman
Why Grow & Eat Chamomile in California Spring?
Thrives in Droughts
- Chamomile is another great herb that requires little to no additional watering than what it will get from rain. This makes it the perfect herb to grow in California.
Perennial:
- One of the greatest benefits of growing chamomile is that it is a perennial plant. This means you plant it once and you can enjoy it every year! I recommend planting & growing chamomile anywhere in your yard!
THESE Could Harm Your Chamomile
Garden Pests:
- Rabbits, Deer, & even birds love eating chamomile. They’ll eat you’ll leave and even your flower buds if you do not protect them with netting or rodent spray.
Cold Weather:
- Like most perennial herbs, chamomile will begin dying off once frost touches it. This means you can only grow this herb in late spring to early autumn.
Additional Resources
Learn How to Grow Chamomile HERE
Common Growing Factors of California’s Edible Plants
As a reminder, the below factors are common for the Common Edible Plants in California Spring:
- Thrives in Heat & Drought
- Thrives in Cold
- Can Grow in Vertical Gardens
- Hardy against Pests & Insects
- Can be planted in ALL Types of Garden
- Great Cross-Pollinator
