19 Forgotten Vegetables That Grow Like Weeds Zero Effort Garden

Stop growing tomatoes. I'm dead serious. While you're staking, fertilizing, and watering them twice a day, there's a group of forgotten vegetables that haven't been planted in over 100 years. They're three times easier, twice as nutritious, and actually thrive on neglect. Plant number 7 was literally banned in some European gardens for spreading so aggressively. Plant number 14 produces 10 times more food per square foot than any vegetable you're growing right now. These 19 forgotten vegetables fed entire generations, then quietly disappeared. Today I'm bringing them back. Before we dive in, smash that subscribe button and turn on notifications. Which modern vegetable frustrates you most? Tomatoes that crack? Lettuce that bolts? Drop your answer in the comments. If gardening feels harder than it should be, ah, hit that thumbs up. Alright, let's get into it. Plant 1 is purslane. Most people rip it out and toss it, not realizing that it's one of the oldest vegetables humans ever ate. This plant was a staple in ancient gardens long before lettuce and cabbage existed. Today it's dismissed as a useless weed. But purslane grows faster and tougher than almost every modern vegetable combined. It thrives in poor soil, cracks in pavement, and extreme heat where other crops fail. It spreads on its own, needs almost no water, and keeps coming back even after being cut down multiple times. The leaves are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, more than most fish, and taste slightly lemony and crisp. Bonus tip. Harvest purslane before it flowers for the most tender leaves. Now leave a few plants to drop seeds, and you'll get free purslane every season without planting a single seed. Plant 2 is good king henry. This medieval vegetable grew in cottage gardens across Europe, but vanished when modern spinach took over. It's a perennial green. You plant it once and harvest from the same plant year after year. Good king henry thrives in neglected soil, survives brutal winters, and comes back stronger every spring without you lifting a finger. Its leaves cook like spinach, its shoots taste like asparagus, and it rarely suffers from pests. Modern seed companies barely sell this anymore because they can't profit from a plant you only buy once. Bonus tip. Harvest only young leaves and shoots in early spring, and the plant will reward you with decades of harvests. One planting, 20 years of food. Our plant 3 is malabar spinach. This climbing green thrives where regular spinach gives up and dies. It was a staple in tropical gardens centuries ago, but is almost forgotten in modern temperate gardening. Once planted, it spreads quickly and produces thick, lush leaves all summer long. Malabar spinach loves heat, poor soil, and minimal care. The opposite of what modern gardening tells you plants need. It climbs fences and trellises, giving you continuous leaves for salads and stir-fries. The more you harvest it, the more it grows. I planted this 3 years ago on a chain-link fence and watered it maybe 5 times total. It's still producing. Bonus tip. Let a few stems flower and drop seeds. You'll have free malabar spinach popping up every year with no extra work. Plant 4 is skirret. This ancient European root vegetable predates carrots and parsnips. It was a favorite in medieval gardens for its sweet, nutty roots, yet modern gardens forgot it existed. Once planted, it keeps producing edible roots year after year with very little care. No replanting, no fuss. Just dig up roots when you need them. Skirret thrives in poor soil and tolerates neglect better than almost any root crop. Harvest in late fall or even mid-winter. They store well for months without refrigeration. Bonus tip. Plant skirret once and let it establish. It'll continue producing in the same spot for multiple years, giving you a nearly permanent root harvest with almost no maintenance. Plant 5 is homburg parsley. This root vegetable was once a staple in European gardens, but has almost vanished. Unlike the parsley you sprinkle on dishes, this one is grown for its thick, edible taproot. Historically prized for its sweet, nutty flavor and reliable winter harvests, most modern gardeners have never considered it. Hamburg parsley thrives in poor soil, tolerates cold, and rarely suffers from pests. The leaves are edible too, but the real treasure is underground. Long, carrot-like roots that store well for months. Bonus tip. Harvest roots in late fall or early winter. After a few frosts, this actually sweetens them naturally. Leave a few roots in the soil and they'll recede themselves, giving you a near-permanent food source. Plant 6 is salsify, often called the oyster plant, for its subtly sweet, almost seafood-like flavor. It was widely grown in Europe before potatoes dominated, but today it's nearly forgotten. Salsify produces long, white roots that are nutritious and versatile, thriving where most modern root vegetables struggle. This hardy perennial tolerates poor soil, drought, and cold weather. The more you leave it alone, the better it grows. Harvest late in the season when most others have stopped producing. Bonus tip. Leave a few roots in the soil over winter and they'll recede naturally in spring. The roots actually taste sweeter after a frost. Plant 7 is scorzenera, also known as black salsify. This is the one I warned you about in the intro. This hardy root vegetable was once a common staple in European kitchens, but is almost entirely forgotten today. Its long, dark roots store exceptionally well and have a sweet, nutty flavor that improves with age. Historically prized during winter months. It spread so aggressively in some regions that gardeners tried to ban it, but that aggression is exactly what makes it perfect for lazy gardening. Scorzenera thrives in poor, sandy soil and survives harsh weather that would kill other crops. It requires almost no maintenance. Just plant it once and let it grow. Bonus tip. Harvest roots after the first frost to maximize sweetness. Leave a few plants to self-seed and you'll have an almost effortless supply year after year. Just control where it spreads. Plant 8 is lovage. This towering, leafy perennial was once a kitchen favorite in Europe, but is nearly forgotten today. Its flavor is like stronger, more aromatic celery. And every part is edible. Leaves, stems, seeds, even roots. Historically, families relied on it to season soups and stews long before store-bought herbs existed. Unlavage tolerates poor soil, drought, and minimal care, coming back stronger every spring. Plant it once and it can reach 6 feet tall while producing endless aromatic leaves. Unlike delicate herbs, lovage thrives on neglect. Bonus tip. Harvest leaves early in the season for best flavor. Let some flower stalks go to seed and you'll have free lovage plants popping up naturally next year. Plant 9 is chayote. This climbing vine produces a squash-like vegetable almost forgotten outside tropical regions. Historically grown in backyard gardens across Central and South America, families prized it for prolific harvests and ridiculously low maintenance. Chayote vines cover fences and trellises, producing dozens of fruits year after year with minimal care. It thrives in poor soil, tolerates intense heat, and rarely suffers from pests. And every part is edible. The fruits, leaves, shoots, even roots. Bonus tip. Let a few fruits fall and sprout naturally. Once established, a chayote vine can produce for many years, turning a neglected corner into a self-sustaining food source. Plant 10 is the Egyptian walking onion. This one is wild. It's a perennial onion once widely grown but now almost disappeared from modern gardens. Unlike regular onions, it produces small bulbils at the top of its stalks. When those stalks get heavy, they bend over. The bulbils fall to the ground and grow into new plants. It literally plants itself and slowly walks across your garden year after year. You plant it once and it multiplies itself forever. These onions tolerate cold, poor soil, and drought. You can harvest both green tops and bulbs. Last year, a viewer in Minnesota planted a handful. Three years later, she has a 15-foot patch that feeds her family year-round without replanting a single bulb. Bonus tip. Leave a few bulbs on the stalks at season's end and they'll root wherever they fall, creating a self-expanding patch without any replanting. Plant 11 is ground nut, scientifically known as Apios Americana. This is one of the most underrated vegetables in history. It was a staple food for Native Americans for thousands of years but is almost completely forgotten today. Unlike potatoes, ground nut grows in poor soil and along riverbanks, producing clusters of protein-rich tubers that taste slightly nutty. Its vines spread quickly, giving you food and ground coverage. Ground nuts are incredibly hardy, drought-tolerant, and virtually pest-free. Harvest tubers in late fall. Leave some in the ground and they'll grow again next year. The vines also produce small edible beans. Bonus tip. Plant them near a trellis or fence and let the vines climb. Leave a few tubers in the soil over winter and they'll naturally reseed, giving you a self-sustaining patch year after year. Plant 12 is Caucasian spinach, also called Hablitsia. Tamnoids. This climbing perennial leafy green was once common in European gardens but is almost entirely forgotten. Unlike modern spinach that dies in summer heat, this plant thrives in shade, tolerates poor soil, and can grow for decades once established. Its tender, mild-flavored leaves are perfect for salads, soups, or sauteeing. It climbs fences and trellises, producing continuous harvests every spring and summer. It rarely needs watering, fertilizing, or attention. And I've had mine for five years and done absolutely nothing except harvest leaves. Bonus tip. Allow a few plants to flower and drop seeds. They'll naturally reseed themselves, giving you a self-maintaining patch that can feed your family for years with almost no work. Plant 13 is Aurach, also known as mountain spinach. This was a staple in European kitchens long before modern spinach took over. It's highly tolerant of poor soil, heat, and drought. One of the easiest greens to grow. Despite its resilience and rich, slightly salty flavor, most gardeners today have forgotten it exists. Aurach grows upright with colorful leaves ranging from bright green to deep red, adding nutrition and beauty to your garden. Harvest leaves continuously throughout the season. The plant rarely suffers from pests. Bonus tip. Sow a few seeds each season and allow some plants to self-seed. Within a couple of years, you'll have a thriving patch providing fresh, vibrant greens with almost zero effort. Plant 14 is yardlong bean. This is the one I mentioned in the intro, the plant that produces 10 times more food per square foot than most vegetables you're growing. It was once a backyard staple in Asia and Africa, but is rarely grown in modern western gardens. Unlike common bush beans, yardlong beans produce long, tender pods that can reach up to three feet long. A single vine gives you a massive harvest. These beans thrive in poor soil, heat, and full sun, rarely needing constant care. Once vines start climbing, they'll produce pods non-stop throughout the entire growing season. Say I had three vines last year and harvested beans every single week from July to October. Three vines fed my entire family. Bonus tip. Allow some pods to mature fully and drop seeds naturally. You'll have free yardlong beans sprouting next season, creating a self-replenishing crop. Plant 15 is sea kale. This coastal perennial was once widely grown in European gardens, but is nearly forgotten today. Its thick, cabbage-like shoots are harvested in early spring, while leaves can be eaten later. Historically, it provided reliable fresh greens when other vegetables were scarce, especially in harsh coastal climates. Sea kale thrives in poor, sandy soil and tolerates salty winds, ideal for challenging plots. Once established, it comes back year after year with minimal care. Bonus tip. Harvest shoots by blanching them. Bend them over and cover with soil for a few weeks. The plant keeps producing fresh shoots for weeks. Leave a few plants to self-seed, and you'll have a perennial source of greens year after year. Plant 16 is cardoon. The wild ancestor of the artichoke, once widely eaten in Mediterranean gardens, but almost entirely forgotten today. Its thick, celery-like stalks are edible when blanched and cooked. Historically, its roots and seeds were also used for food and medicine. Cardoon is extremely hardy, thriving in poor soil, intense heat, and drought. It grows tall and bushy, providing large yield from just a few plants with very little maintenance. Stalks can be harvested multiple times throughout the season. Bonus tip. Cut back old stalks in late winter to encourage fresh spring growth. Let some flower and produce seeds, and cardoon will naturally self-seed, giving you continuous supply without replanting. Plant 17 is mallow, specifically common mallow. This is another one I warned you about. It was once a staple in European and Middle Eastern gardens, but is now mostly ignored and pulled out as a weed. Its tender, slightly mucilaginous leaves were cooked like spinach, used in soups, or eaten raw in salads. Mallow is incredibly hardy, growing in poor soil, full sun or partial shade, tolerating drought and complete neglect. It self-seeds naturally, spreads quickly, and produces edible leaves almost year-round in mild climates. Bonus tip. Harvest young leaves for best flavor, and leave a few plants to flower and drop seeds. Within a single season, you'll have a self-sustaining patch of nutritious greens that keeps coming back without you doing anything. Plant 18 is alico. This colorful Andean tuber was once a staple food in South America, but has almost disappeared from modern gardens. Its small, waxy tubers come in shades of red, purple, and yellow, rich in carbohydrates and nutrients. Historically grown alongside potatoes and quinoa, alico thrives in poor, well-drained soil, and tolerates cool temperatures better than many modern root crops. It produces both tubers and edible leaves, giving you multiple harvests. Once planted, it spreads naturally through its tubers. Bonus tip. Leave a few tubers in the ground at season's end. They'll sprout new plants next year, creating a nearly self-sustaining supply of colorful, nutritious roots. Plant 19 is crocin, also called Chinese artichoke. This is one of the most unique vegetables on this list. It's a small, spiral-shaped tuber once popular in Europe and Asia, but now almost completely forgotten. Its crunchy, nutty-flavored roots were prized in stir-fries, soups, and pickles. It's incredibly easy to cultivate and produces surprisingly large harvests. Crocini thrives in loose, well-drained soil and tolerates neglect, heat, and poor conditions. It spreads underground, creating clusters of tubers harvested in late fall. The plant rarely needs fertilizer, irrigation, or pest control. Bonus tip. Leave a few tubers in the ground after harvesting. They'll grow into new plants next season, giving you a self-replenishing crop year after year. And there you have it. 19 forgotten vegetables that prove modern gardening has been lying to you. You don't need perfect soil, daily watering, expensive fertilizers, or constant care. You just need the right plants. The ones that want to grow, not the ones that fight you every step of the way. Here's what I want you to do right now. First, pick three of these plants. Don't overwhelm yourself. Pick the ones that excited you most. Commit to trying them this season. Plant them, step back, and watch them thrive with almost zero effort. Second, if this video changed how you think about gardening, share it with one person who struggles in their garden. Help me spread the word that lazy gardening isn't about being lazy. It's about being smart. Third, subscribe if you haven't already, because next week I'm revealing 12 perennial vegetables that produce food for 20 plus years from a single planting. You don't want to miss it. Finally, hey, check the description. I've linked my top 5 seed companies where you can actually buy these forgotten vegetables. Here's the truth. Your ancestors didn't struggle in the garden because they grew plants that didn't need them to. These 19 vegetables are proof that nature already solved the problem. We just forgot the solution. Your garden is about to change forever. Go make it happen. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next video.