I’m all about quick wins in the garden, and nothing delivers faster than leafy greens. Some of these grow so fast, it feels like you blink and they’re ready to eat.
I’ve even timed a few just for fun—and yep, they really are that speedy. Perfect if you’re impatient like me or just craving something fresh in a hurry. Here are the greens that won’t make you wait!
1. Arugula
Ready to spice up your salads? Arugula’s peppery kick makes it a favorite among chefs and home cooks alike. The leaves start small but grow rapidly, ready for your first harvest in just 21 days.
Simply snip the outer leaves and let the inner ones continue growing for multiple harvests from a single planting. Arugula grows well in containers too, making it perfect for balcony gardens or limited spaces.
2. Spinach
Nothing beats the versatility of fresh spinach leaves in your kitchen. Baby spinach can be harvested just 25-30 days after planting, giving you tender, sweet leaves perfect for salads or quick sautés.
The plant thrives in cool weather and partial shade, making it ideal for early spring or fall gardens. For the longest harvest period, pick only the outer leaves and allow the center to keep producing new growth.
3. Mustard Greens
Looking for a bold flavor boost? Mustard greens deliver a spicy punch that wakes up any dish. Their rapid growth means you can start harvesting baby leaves in as little as 20 days after planting.
The frilly or broad leaves come in various colors including bright green, purple, and red. When harvested young, they offer a milder taste that intensifies as they mature, giving you different flavor profiles throughout the growing cycle.
4. Kale
Baby kale offers all the nutritional punch of mature kale but in a tender, faster-growing package. You can start harvesting the outer leaves in as little as 25-30 days, long before the full heads would be ready.
The young leaves have a milder, sweeter flavor than their fully grown counterparts. Kale is incredibly cold-tolerant, often improving in flavor after a light frost, making it perfect for extending your growing season into cooler months.
5. Lettuce
Loose-leaf lettuce varieties deliver almost instant gratification in the garden. You can begin harvesting individual outer leaves just 21 days after planting, while the center continues producing new growth.
The “cut and come again” method lets you harvest from the same plants for weeks. Look for varieties like ‘Black Seeded Simpson’ or ‘Oak Leaf’ that are specifically bred for quick growth and multiple harvests from a single planting.
6. Bok Choy
Baby bok choy brings Asian-inspired freshness to your meals with minimal waiting. The tender leaves and crunchy stems can be harvested whole in just 30 days, much faster than waiting for full-sized heads.
The mild, slightly sweet flavor works beautifully in stir-fries or raw in salads. For continuous harvests, sow seeds every two weeks and enjoy this nutritional powerhouse throughout the growing season without taking up much garden space.
7. Mizuna
Ever tried this Japanese mustard green with its distinctive feathery leaves? Mizuna grows incredibly fast, ready for first harvest in just 20 days, and offers a mild peppery flavor that’s less intense than arugula.
The plants are remarkably cold-tolerant and can withstand light frosts. Mizuna regrows quickly after cutting, providing multiple harvests from a single planting, and its attractive serrated leaves add visual interest to both your garden and your plate.
8. Tatsoi
Meet the rosette-forming Asian green that’s gaining popularity for its buttery texture and mild flavor. Tatsoi’s spoon-shaped dark leaves grow in a flat, circular pattern and can be harvested in just 21 days as baby greens.
The plant thrives in cool weather and can withstand temperatures down to 15°F (-9°C). Its compact growth habit makes it perfect for small spaces or container gardens, while its nutrition profile rivals that of spinach and kale.
9. Mache
Also known as corn salad or lamb’s lettuce, mâche delivers a delicate, nutty flavor that high-end restaurants love. The small rosettes of tender, spoon-shaped leaves can be harvested just 28 days after planting.
Mâche thrives in cool weather when many other greens struggle. The entire plant can be harvested at once, or you can pick outer leaves as needed. Despite being less common in home gardens, it’s one of the easiest and most cold-hardy greens to grow.
10. Watercress
Fancy growing a gourmet green right at home? Watercress delivers a distinctive peppery punch and grows surprisingly quickly, ready for first harvest in about 20-30 days from planting.
Despite its reputation as a stream-dwelling plant, watercress grows well in containers as long as the soil stays consistently moist. The nutrient-dense leaves are packed with vitamins and minerals, making this fast-growing green as healthy as it is flavorful.
11. Collard Greens
Baby collard greens offer a milder, tender alternative to their full-grown counterparts. You can begin harvesting the outer leaves in just 25-30 days, picking continually as the plant grows.
The young leaves require much less cooking time than mature collards. These nutritional powerhouses are incredibly heat and cold tolerant, making them one of the most versatile greens for year-round growing in many climates.
12. Swiss Chard
Bringing vibrant color to both garden and plate, Swiss chard’s baby leaves can be harvested in just 25-30 days. The tender young greens offer a milder flavor than mature leaves, perfect for adding to salads or quick sautés.
Look for rainbow varieties that produce stems in stunning shades of red, yellow, orange, and pink. Chard’s incredible heat tolerance means it continues producing through summer when many other greens have bolted, giving you months of continuous harvests.
13. Cress
Garden cress might be the ultimate quick-growing green for impatient gardeners. These tiny powerhouses are ready to harvest in just 7-14 days, making them among the fastest-growing edible plants available.
The peppery microgreens add a zesty kick to sandwiches and salads. Cress grows easily on a damp paper towel or in shallow soil, making it perfect for windowsill growing year-round, even for children or those without outdoor space.
14. Pea Shoots
Imagine enjoying the sweet flavor of fresh peas in just 10 days! Pea shoots offer exactly that – the tender tips and leaves of pea plants harvested when they’re just a few inches tall.
The delicate tendrils and leaves taste remarkably like fresh peas but grow in a fraction of the time. Simply plant pea seeds densely in shallow soil, and when they reach 3-4 inches tall, snip them just above the lowest set of leaves for a gourmet treat.
15. Endive
Baby endive leaves bring sophisticated flavor to your homegrown salads without the long wait. The slightly bitter, tender leaves can be harvested in just 30 days, much sooner than waiting for full heads to form.
Both curly and broad-leaved varieties grow quickly from seed. For a sweeter flavor, cover the developing plants with a bucket for the last few days before harvest – this blanching technique reduces bitterness and creates pale, tender centers.
16. Beet Greens
Why wait months for beet roots when you can enjoy their nutritious tops in just weeks? Beet greens can be harvested as baby leaves in 21-30 days, long before the roots are ready.
The colorful stems and tender leaves have a flavor similar to Swiss chard with earthy undertones. Thinning out seedlings from densely planted beet rows gives you a bonus harvest of microgreens while creating proper spacing for the remaining plants to develop roots.