15 Vitamin-Packed Vegetables to Grow This Season

Spring has officially begun, and we can enjoy the awakening cool-season bounty it brings. From leafy greens to root vegetables, the nutritional goodness and superior flavors we crave are within sight with each unfurling leaf.

Growing vitamin-packed vegetables makes the most of a rewarding harvest. They maximize the benefits of growing fresh food to nourish our bodies while enjoying peak freshness. The flavors differ from commercial selections that travel to reach us and capture all the enrichment closer to harvest time. Building our gardens with nutritional powerhouses builds our health while enriching our culinary endeavors and our edible landscapes.

Dwarf cultivars are the quickest to develop and have a compact habit, making them versatile in small spaces, containers, raised beds, and even on the kitchen counter. ‘Baby Choi’ matures in 35 to 60 days and reaches 20 inches tall. Harvest it early for tender growth and crisp, crunchy white stems. 

‘Toy Choy’ is a miniature variety that grows only five inches tall at maturity and is ready in as little as 30 days. ‘Toy’ is a great pick for areas with short spring seasons before the summer heat.

Broccoli ‘Di Cicco’

	common name Broccoli ‘Di Cicco’
	botanical name Brassica oleracea var. italica ‘Di Cicco’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 24-36”

Broccoli is chock full of nutrition and easy to grow in cool seasons. ‘Di Cicco’ is an Italian heirloom from 1890 that produces lots of blue-green, small- to medium-sized heads. It matures quickly, in only about 48 days, with a central three-inch crown and numerous smaller florets.

Another fun, nutrient-dense Brassica is broccoli raab, or ‘Rapini.’  Stems and small crowns are delicate, tender, mild, and slightly peppery. They reach only 12 to 14 inches tall and are ready in 45 days. In addition to the florets, the rich leaves of both broccoli and broccoli raab are edible, fresh or cooked.

Broccoli and broccoli raab are good sources of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. They also supply calcium, iron, and vitamin B6.

Carrot ‘Cosmic Purple’

	common name Carrot ‘Cosmic Purple’
	botanical name Daucus carota ‘Cosmic Purple’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-7″ roots

‘Cosmic Purple’ is a colorful carrot variety with ancestors cultivated from wild species for a millennium. In addition to the high vitamin A and beta-carotene common to all carrots is the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is responsible for the purple exterior. This is the same healthy antioxidant found in blueberries.

The purple outer layers of ‘Cosmic Purple’ give way to an orange core in a complementary contrast. Conical roots taper at the end and reach six to seven inches long at peak development. ‘Cosmic Purple’ has Imperator qualities in slender tapering and resembles nantes types in its cylindrical form, size, and sweet crunchiness.

‘Atomic Red’ is another vitamin-packed vegetable with a deep red exterior and a sweet, crisp, slender root. ‘Atomic Red’ is an Imperator-type carrot, long and tapered with stocky shoulders and strong tops. Red carrots have origins in 1700s China, India, and Japan.

When cooked, ‘Atomic Red’s’ orange cores stand out against the red outer layer. Try them steamed, boiled, roasted, or in stir fries for a bright addition, as the color intensifies during cooking. They’re high in the antioxidant lycopene (also in tomatoes), which gives them their red tone.

Turnip Greens

	common name Turnip Greens
	botanical name Brassica rapa var. rapa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-15”

The leafy tops of turnips bring loads of health benefits besides the root itself. The centuries-old root vegetable is most notable for its hearty, sweet, smooth-fleshed roots, often a good stand-in for potatoes. Turnips are high in vitamins A, C, B, and E, as well as folic acid, potassium, and dietary fiber. They belong to the Brassica genus with cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Asian varieties present a delicacy in their sweet flavor and crisp white flesh for fresh eating. With tender skins, enjoy the little globes young in raw culinary applications, grated on a salad or in a slaw. They’re also delicious roasted. Hakurei (Japanese turnips) are petite salad turnips. ‘White Lady’ is a Japanese variety with a sweet flavor, crisp white flesh, and tender skin. Use the baby salad turnips when they reach two inches in diameter.

Turnips are fast-growers, ready in 30-60 days from planting. Early varieties are harvest-ready in four to five weeks, with later ones in eight to ten weeks. The hardy vegetables tolerate frost and even heavy freezes. With any variety, young, soft leaves are ready quickly. When they reach four to five inches tall, the tender leaves are excellent raw or cooked. Harvest some of the leaves while leaving some intact as the root develops.

Turnips perform in the ground, containers, and raised beds and make an easy companion to beets. As a bonus, the root vegetables serve to aerate the soil as they develop. Or, grow microgreens right on the kitchen counter. Like other lettuces and leafy greens, turnips sprout quickly (usually within five days) and develop nutrient-rich micro and baby greens.

Beet ‘Chioggia’

	common name Beet ‘Chioggia’
	botanical name Beta vulgaris ‘Chioggia’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18”

Both the roots and leafy tops of beets are rich in vitamins and minerals, including A, C, iron, potassium, and folic acid, with antioxidant benefits. ‘Chioggia’ is an 1800s Italian heirloom and a candy-striped variety. The interior has a peppermint swirl of white and pinky-red rings.

‘Chioggia’ has a mild, sweet, and slightly peppery flavor. The cold-tolerant, frost-hardy root vegetables grow best in the cool weather of spring and fall. Direct sow seeds two to four weeks before the last frost. In warm climates, sow them in the fall for a winter harvest.

As an early producer, the heirloom matures in 55 days. Harvest the beets early at one to three inches for the best flavor and texture. The roots have pink, orange, and red-hued skins, and the flesh of ‘Chioggia’ is relatively free of bleeding and staining.

Cauliflower ‘Fioretto’

	common name Cauliflower ‘Fioretto’
	botanical name Brassica oleracea ‘Fioretto’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 16-18”

Cauliflower is a frost-tolerant crop and a good source of choline, necessary for the nervous system to aid in muscle control and even mood and memory. Cauliflower is also rich in vitamin C, B6, potassium, iron, and calcium.

Look for ‘Fioretto’ for a compact variety that matures in around 75 days. Slender stalks produce a bouquet of cauliflower florets, taking less time to develop and with good flavor. The taste is nutty and somewhat sweeter than traditional selections.

To get the most nutrition, enjoy sliced or chopped florets raw or cooked lightly. ‘Fioretto’ keeps its crunch through cooking.

Komatsuna Japanese Spinach

	common name Komatsuna Japanese Spinach
	botanical name Brassica rapa var. perviridis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-18”

Komatsuna is a traditional Japanese vegetable whose flavor resembles smooth spinach with notes of mild mustard, sweet and not bitter. The greens are high in vitamins C, A, and K, with additional minerals like folate, beta-carotene, and iron. These tender green mustards even contain more calcium than spinach.

A staple in Japan, Komatsuna is a fresh delicacy in salads, sautes, and soups. Use it as a fresh garnish with grated radish or Asian turnips.

Sow Komatsuna before spring’s final frost and pick leaves early at around 30 to 40 days for tender, soft growth. They withstand heat, though they will bolt in extended hot conditions.

‘Apple Blossom Blend’ Swiss Chard

	common name ‘Apple Blossom Blend’ Swiss Chard
	botanical name Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-4″

To accompany the leafy greens of Japanese spinach is the colorful combination of ‘Apple Blossom’ Swiss chard baby greens. Swiss chard has soft leaves and adds rich color with bright stems and foliage. Raw or cooked, it has a mild flavor and is easy to incorporate from the salad bowl to stir-fries. It contains vitamins A, C, and K, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants.

‘Apple Blossom Blend’ combines favorite chard baby greens for an early harvest with flat, fanning, slightly crinkled leaves. ‘Fordhook’ and ‘Ruby Red’ bring white and red stems with deep red and bright green leaves. Sow seeds every two weeks for a continual supply of young leaves at two to four inches tall.

Kale ‘Dwarf Blue Curled’

	common name Kale ‘Dwarf Blue Curled’
	botanical name Brassica oleracea ‘Dwarf Blue Curled’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-30”

Kale is a must-have among nutritive greens. Not only delicious and versatile fresh or cooked, it offers numerous vitamins and minerals in a low-calorie green.

‘Dwarf Blue Curled’ is an 1800s heirloom with exceptional cold hardiness that also withstands some heat as spring weather warms. Its ruffly leaves mature in 21 to 55 days and sweeten after frost exposure. Sow seeds outdoors one to two weeks before the final frost, with soil temperatures above 45°F (7°C).

‘Red Russian’ kale baby greens (Brassica rapus) bring petite, feathery leaves to the table. Leaves are frilly with deep red-purple stems and veins. The 1885 heirloom is quick to mature, with young leaves in just over 20 days for a tender harvest.

Radish ‘Cherry Belle’

	common name Radish ‘Cherry Belle’
	botanical name Raphanus sativus ‘Cherry Belle’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3”

Radishes are a prime early spring crop for their fast development and aeration along the soil surface. Sow them with carrots for an early harvest and to improve soil and aeration while the longer taproots develop. Radishes are an early source of vitamin C before the other vitamin-packed vegetables are ready. Like turnips, their leafy tops are edible, too.

‘Cherry Belle’ is a favorite bright red radish with white flesh and a crisp flavor. These Holland heirlooms won the All-America Selections award in 1949 for their fast growth, easy care, and flavorful roots.

‘Cherry Belle’ matures in about 24 days and is well-suited to successional plantings every one to two weeks for a continual crop through late spring and early summer. Sow them several weeks before the average final frost date (when the soil is workable and temperatures are above 40°F or 4°C). Harvest Cherry Belle when the roots are small, about 1’ in diameter.

Butternut Squash ‘Honeynut’

	common name Butternut Squash ‘Honeynut’
	botanical name Cucurbita moschata ‘Honeynut’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’ vines

Easily grown from seed, winter squash is usually sown in spring or early summer to yield the autumn harvest. Their long vines grow along the ground, on vertical supports like trellises and arches, and in raised beds and containers. Dwarf varieties mature earlier and suit both small-space gardens and those with a short growing season.

‘Honeynut’ is a moschata selection with good squash vine borer and powdery mildew resistance. C. moschata is more resistant to squash vine borer infestations than other species. Their thick, smooth stems make them less accessible during egg-laying and larval cycles.

‘Honeynut’ is a hybrid out of Cornell’s breeding program and crosses butternut and buttercup varieties for a very sweet and smooth texture. The petite fruits are four to five inches long, starting mottled green and ripening to mellow orange-red. They store for up to six months. Short, bushy vines make the dense grower perfect for vertical situations and small spaces.

Asparagus ‘Millenium’

	common name Asparagus ‘Millenium’
	botanical name Asparagus officinalis ‘Millenium’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-5’

Asparagus is one of the earliest spring vegetables, and its fresh, crisp stems grow quickly to reach peak readiness in cool conditions. It takes time to realize a harvest, about two years after planting crowns (one-year-old roots) and three years from seed. But after that, it’s a long-lived perennial for years of production.

Asparagus is high in folate (which helps us process iron), amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Worthy of a spot in the edible landscape, place asparagus where its leafy fronds won’t overshadow other selections, like the back of the border or along a fence. 

‘Millenium’ is a favorite for performance, cold hardiness, yield, and flavor. It produces uniform spears with tight tips. It adapts to heavy soils but does best in rich, loose loams. The top-performing variety does well in areas with long winters. It’s also disease-resistant to asparagus problems like rust, Fusarium, and crown rot.

Snap Pea ‘Sugar Daddy’

	common name Snap Pea ‘Sugar Daddy’
	botanical name Pisum sativum ‘Sugar Daddy’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3’

Snap peas thrive in the cool season and supply vitamins C and K, plus iron, supporting immune health and blood cells. ‘Sugar Daddy’s’ compact growth, nutrition profile, and delicious snacking make it worth growing. The compact vines reach two to three feet high, ideal for small spaces and containers with only a small trellis or fence for support. 

The sweet pods are stringless on short vines with improved disease resistance. The slender, deep green, three-inch pods are ready in about 60 days.

In warm climates, or if you’ve missed the window for starting peas, opt for green beans. Comparable to peas in nutrition, the warm-season favorites are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.

Bell Pepper ‘California Wonder’

	common name Bell Pepper ‘California Wonder’
	botanical name Capsicum annuum ‘California Wonder’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 18-30”

Colorful bell peppers pack health benefits, including vitamins C and A and antioxidants that support eye and immune health. These beauties adhere to the “eat the rainbow” approach to whole health.

‘California Wonder’ is a 1928 introduction by Cali grower C.C. Marse. These sweet peppers originated in Central and South America and traveled the world with explorers and colonists. The mild, sweet peppers are classic bells, lobed with thick walls, tender flesh, and crisp flavor. The fruits start green and ripen to red; enjoy them fresh at either stage. Look for ‘Golden Cal Wonder’ for a yellow variety.

In mild climates, sow bell peppers outdoors two to four weeks after the final frost. In cold climates, start seeds indoors eight to ten weeks before transplanting. 

Cherry Tomato ‘Midnight Snack’

	common name Cherry Tomato ‘Midnight Snack’
	botanical name Solanum lycopersicum ‘Midnight Snack’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 5-6’

‘Midnight Snack’ boasts a unique indigo coloration derived from anthocyanin pigments, the healthy antioxidants in blueberries and ‘Cosmic Purple’ carrots. Tomatoes also contain the antioxidant lycopene.

‘Midnight Snack’ is a tender, tasty, easy-to-grow cherry tomato. Young fruits transition from green to gold to red with purple-black overtones, making them as ornamental as they are delicious. Fruits maintain the cherry tomato balance of sweet and tangy and weigh about one-and-a-half ounces.

This vitamin-packed vegetable (technically a fruit) is an All-America Selections award winner with outstanding flavor among purple tomatoes and vigorous garden performance. Indeterminate vines grow tall and require staking. They’ll produce fruit all season long.