Plant Library
Types of vegetables: a complete grower's guide by family
The complete guide to types of vegetables — grouped by botanical family with growing tips, companion plants, and care signals for 25+ crops.
Types of vegetables: a complete grower's guide by family
Vegetables look like a wild grab-bag at the seed rack, but every common kitchen-garden crop belongs to one of seven botanical families. Once you can name the family, three useful things click into place: which crops share the same pests and diseases (and so should not follow each other in rotation), which crops are friends in a companion planting bed, and which crops want the same soil pH and feeding rhythm. This guide walks through 25+ types of vegetables in family order, with the basic care signal and a link out to the deeper Growli care or companion-planting page where we have one.
Plan your bed in Growli: Photograph your patch in Growli and we lay out a rotation across the seven vegetable families so you never plant the same group in the same bed two years running.
How we group the seven families
Botanical family names look intimidating but they map onto the way most gardeners already think about crops.
- Solanaceae — the nightshades. Tomato, pepper, potato, aubergine. Frost-tender, warm-season, all share blight and flea beetle risk.
- Brassicaceae — the cabbage family. Cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, turnip, rocket. Cool-season, cabbage white butterfly bait, want lime-sweet soil.
- Cucurbitaceae — the gourd family. Cucumber, courgette, marrow, pumpkin, melon. Frost-tender, sprawling, hungry feeders.
- Amaryllidaceae (formerly Alliaceae) — the alliums. Onion, garlic, leek, shallot, chive. Long season, deter aphids, share white rot.
- Fabaceae — the legumes. Pea, bean (runner, French, broad). Nitrogen-fixing roots feed the next crop.
- Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae — the leafy greens. Lettuce, chicory, endive (Asteraceae); spinach, chard, beetroot (Amaranthaceae). Cool-season, bolt in heat.
- Apiaceae and miscellaneous — the root crops. Carrot, parsnip, celery, fennel (Apiaceae); plus a few outliers like sweet potato (Convolvulaceae) and sweetcorn (Poaceae).
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group's APG IV classification (the current accepted taxonomy as of 2026) keeps all of these family names current, with the one renaming gardeners should know: the alliums moved from the old "Alliaceae" into the broader Amaryllidaceae a couple of revisions ago. Everything else still uses the family names your grandmother's gardening book used.
Solanaceae — the nightshades
The warm-season backbone of any kitchen garden. All Solanaceae are frost-tender, want full sun, deep watering, and share the same diseases — early blight, late blight, verticillium wilt — which is why nightshades should not follow each other in rotation.
1. Tomato — Solanum lycopersicum
The most-grown garden vegetable in both the US and UK by an enormous margin. Hundreds of cultivars across two growth habits: determinate (bush, fruit ripens in one window) and indeterminate (vining, fruits all season). For the cultivar-by-cultivar breakdown see our dedicated types of tomatoes guide.
Care signal: Full sun, deep weekly watering, side-dress with a tomato-specific feed at first flower. See how to grow tomatoes, /plant-care/tomato, companion plants for tomatoes, and what fertiliser for tomatoes.
2. Pepper (sweet and chilli) — Capsicum annuum
Smaller and slower than tomato but easier to grow in containers and greenhouses. Sweet peppers (bell, banana, padron), and chillies across the Scoville range from mild jalapeño to scorching habanero (a different species, Capsicum chinense).
Care signal: Full sun, even moisture, hold off nitrogen once flowers set. See how to grow peppers, /plant-care/pepper, and companion plants for peppers.
3. Potato — Solanum tuberosum
First-early, second-early, and maincrop varieties differ by days to harvest. Chitted seed potatoes go in trenches in spring; earth up as foliage grows to keep tubers covered. Our full guide on how to grow potatoes walks through chitting, earthing-up and the first-early vs maincrop decision.
Care signal: Full sun, deep loose soil, hill up regularly. See /plant-care/potato.
4. Aubergine (eggplant) — Solanum melongena
The slowest nightshade to fruit. Needs a long warm season — UK growers crop them best under glass; US southern gardens crop them outdoors all summer.
Care signal: Full sun, warm roots, feed weekly once flowering starts.
Brassicaceae — the cabbage family
Cool-season crops. All brassicas share three pests — cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, cabbage root fly, flea beetle — and one disease, club root. They want a near-neutral soil pH around 6.5 to 7.0; lime acidic ground the autumn before planting. Brassicas should not follow brassicas; a four-year rotation is the standard.
5. Cabbage — Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Spring, summer, and savoy (winter) types differ by hardiness and head shape. Hardiest of the common brassicas — winter cabbage stands through frost in most of the UK and US zones 5 and warmer.
Care signal: Full sun, firm soil, net against cabbage white butterflies.
6. Kale — Brassica oleracea var. acephala
The most forgiving brassica. Curly kale, Tuscan (cavolo nero), and Russian red types all stand into winter and sweeten after the first frost. See /plant-care/kale.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, even moisture, pick leaves from the outside in.
7. Broccoli — Brassica oleracea var. italica
Calabrese (single head, summer) versus purple sprouting broccoli (multiple side shoots over winter and spring). Sprouting broccoli is the more reliable UK crop. See /plant-care/broccoli.
Care signal: Full sun, deep watering during head formation.
8. Cauliflower — Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
The fussiest brassica — needs steady growth, blanched curds (cover with leaves to keep white), and gives one head per plant. Worth growing for the romanesco and purple cultivars supermarkets never carry.
9. Brussels sprouts — Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
A long-season winter crop. Sow in spring, harvest from October through February. Firm soil prevents the plants rocking and producing blown sprouts.
10. Radish — Raphanus sativus
The fastest crop in the garden — sown to harvest in 25 days for round summer types. Daikon and winter radishes take longer. See /plant-care/radish.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, sow every two weeks for continuous picking.
11. Rocket and mustard greens — Eruca sativa and Brassica juncea
Peppery salad leaves, harvest as cut-and-come-again in 30 days. Bolt fast in summer heat — better as autumn and spring crops in most of the UK.
Cucurbitaceae — the gourd family
Sprawling, frost-tender, hungry feeders. Most cucurbits want full sun, deep rich soil, and consistent water — uneven watering causes bitter cucumbers and split squash.
12. Cucumber — Cucumis sativus
Indoor (all-female) and outdoor (ridge) types. Indoor types crop earlier and longer under glass; outdoor types are more forgiving of UK summers. See /plant-care/cucumber and companion plants for cucumbers.
Care signal: Full sun, even moisture, pinch out side shoots on cordon plants.
13. Courgette and marrow — Cucurbita pepo
The single most productive crop in a small kitchen garden — two plants will overwhelm a household of four by August. Yellow, round, and striped cultivars add visual interest. See how to grow zucchini for spacing, pollination and the powdery-mildew fix, plus /plant-care/zucchini.
Care signal: Full sun, rich soil, water deeply weekly.
14. Pumpkin and winter squash — Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata
Long-season trailing crops — sow in May, harvest October before frost. Butternut, kabocha, crown prince, and pumpkin all store for months in a cool dry place.
15. Melon — Cucumis melo (cantaloupe) and Citrullus lanatus (watermelon)
Marginal outdoors in the UK without a polytunnel; reliable across the US south. Need long warm summers and consistent water.
Amaryllidaceae — the alliums
Long-season crops with strong scent that deters aphids and many other soft-bodied pests — which is why alliums show up in nearly every companion planting list. Re-classified from the old "Alliaceae" into Amaryllidaceae in current taxonomy, though the gardening world still uses "alliums" as the umbrella term.
16. Onion — Allium cepa
From sets (small bulbs planted in spring or autumn) or seed (slower but cheaper). Long-day varieties for northern latitudes, short-day for southern US. The day-length and curing details are covered in our guide to how to grow onions.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, stop watering once bulbs swell. See /plant-care/onions.
17. Garlic — Allium sativum
Plant cloves October to November for harvest the following July. Softneck types store longer; hardneck types produce edible scapes and bigger cloves. See how to grow garlic for the full clove-to-harvest routine and the when to plant garlic calendar for zone-specific timing.
Care signal: Full sun, free-draining soil, leave alone after spring growth resumes. See /plant-care/garlic.
18. Leek — Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
The hardiest allium. Sow in spring, transplant into deep holes in midsummer for long blanched white stems, harvest October through March.
19. Shallot — Allium cepa var. aggregatum
A clumping onion — one bulb planted multiplies into six to twelve. Milder flavour than onion, longer storage life. The traditional French gourmet allium.
Fabaceae — the legumes
Beans and peas. The big trick of the legume family: their root nodules host bacteria that fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, leaving the plot richer for the crop that follows. Plant nitrogen-hungry brassicas after legumes.
20. Pea — Pisum sativum
Shelling, mangetout, and sugar snap types. Cool-season — sow in March for June harvest, again in autumn. Climbing varieties need a 6-foot net or pea sticks. See /plant-care/pea.
Care signal: Sun to part shade, even moisture, never let the support fall.
21. French bean (bush and climbing) — Phaseolus vulgaris
Tender — sow in May after frost. Bush types crop in one window over three to four weeks; climbing types crop over two to three months. Our full guide on how to grow green beans covers the bush vs pole choice, succession sowing and picking for a long harvest. See also /plant-care/bean.
22. Runner bean — Phaseolus coccinellus
The British allotment classic — climbing only, scarlet flowers, beans best picked under 8 inches before the strings toughen. Less common in the US than French beans.
23. Broad bean (fava) — Vicia faba
The hardiest legume. Autumn-sown varieties like Aquadulce Claudia overwinter and crop in May; spring-sown types crop a month later. Blackfly arrive on the soft growing tips — pinch them out at first flower.
Leafy greens — Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae
The salad and cooking-greens crowd. Most are cool-season and bolt fast in summer heat — see our dedicated types of lettuce guide for the salad subset. Sow successionally every two to three weeks for steady cropping.
24. Lettuce — Lactuca sativa
The headline salad crop. Butterhead, romaine, loose-leaf, and crisphead types differ in heat tolerance and bolting speed. See types of lettuce, /plant-care/lettuce, and companion plants for lettuce.
25. Spinach — Spinacia oleracea
Bolts fast in long days. Sow spring and autumn; skip the height of summer. See /plant-care/spinach.
26. Chard (Swiss chard) — Beta vulgaris var. cicla
A spinach cousin that stands the summer where spinach bolts. Rainbow chards add real visual interest to a bed. Cut-and-come-again from June through October.
Root crops — Apiaceae and outliers
Slow-developing crops grown for the swollen root. Most want deep stone-free soil and prefer not to be transplanted — sow direct where they will crop.
27. Carrot — Daucus carota
Round, Nantes, Imperator (long), and Chantenay (stumpy) types differ by root shape and soil suitability — shallow stony beds suit Chantenay, deep beds take Imperator. See /plant-care/carrot.
Care signal: Sun, sandy stone-free soil, thin to 2-inch spacing.
28. Parsnip — Pastinaca sativa
Long-season UK staple. Sow March to April, harvest after the first frost (which converts starches to sugar). Slow germinator — fresh seed only.
29. Beetroot — Beta vulgaris
A leafy-green cousin (Amaranthaceae) grown for the swollen root. Round, cylindrical (Cylindra), and golden cultivars all crop in 8 to 10 weeks.
30. Sweetcorn — Zea mays
The Poaceae outlier. Wind-pollinated, so plant in blocks of 4x4 minimum rather than rows. UK summers are marginal — choose early F1 cultivars; US growers have far more flexibility.
How to choose which vegetables to grow
Most kitchen-garden plans go wrong by trying to grow everything. Start with the four-question filter.
What do you actually eat? Plant the vegetables that disappear from your fridge fastest. If a family eats a head of broccoli a week, broccoli earns bed space; if nobody touches turnip, skip the turnip.
What is your climate? Hardy brassicas and roots crop reliably across the UK and most of the US. Heat-demanding melons, sweet potatoes, and okra need a long warm summer — limit them to a polytunnel in the UK and to the southern half of the US outdoors.
What is your soil? Heavy clay grows brassicas and root crops well once limed and dug deep. Free-draining sandy soil grows alliums, peas, and carrots beautifully. Loam grows everything.
How much time do you have? Beginners do best with cut-and-come-again leaves (lettuce, chard, kale), bush beans, courgette, and tomato — see our easiest vegetables to grow ranking. The fussy crops (cauliflower, melon, celeriac) can wait until year three.
Then map the seven families across your beds in a rotation. The simplest four-bed rotation puts brassicas in one bed, legumes plus salads in the next, alliums plus roots in the third, and nightshades plus cucurbits in the fourth — rotate each forward by one bed every year.
Common mistakes
Planting the same family in the same bed two years running. Pests and soil-borne diseases build up. Move every family at least one bed each season.
Skipping the soil test. Brassicas want pH 6.5 to 7.0; potatoes prefer 5.5 to 6.5. A 5-pound bag of garden lime applied the autumn before planting solves a lot of "I don't know why nothing grows" problems on acidic UK soils.
Overcrowding. Read the seed packet spacing, then double it for the brassicas and cucurbits. Air movement prevents 80 percent of fungal problems.
Watering little and often. Deep weekly soaking grows deep roots that survive a hot weekend. Light daily watering trains roots to stay shallow and the first heatwave kills the bed.
Skipping rotation notes. Write down what went where each year. Memory fails after two seasons. Even a sketch on the inside of the seed-tin lid works.
Try Growli: Open Growli and we'll keep a digital map of your beds and warn you when a rotation is about to break.
Related articles
- How to start a vegetable garden — the day-one plan
- Easiest vegetables to grow — beginner-friendly crops
- Vegetable garden layout — bed planning and rotation
- Types of tomatoes — the full nightshade-headline cultivar guide
- Types of lettuce — leafy-green deep dive
- Companion planting guide — research-backed pairings
- Types of fertiliser — feeding the seven families
- Types of soil — matching crop to soil texture
Reviewed and updated by the Growli editorial team. For questions about anything here, open Growli and ask — or email hello@getgrowli.app.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main types of vegetables?
The seven main botanical families are Solanaceae (nightshades — tomato, pepper, potato, aubergine), Brassicaceae (cabbage family — cabbage, kale, broccoli, radish), Cucurbitaceae (gourds — cucumber, courgette, squash), Amaryllidaceae (alliums — onion, garlic, leek), Fabaceae (legumes — pea, bean), leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, chard), and root crops (carrot, parsnip, beetroot). Each family shares pests, diseases, and rotation requirements.
How many types of vegetables are there?
There are well over 1,000 cultivated vegetable crops globally, but the seven botanical families above cover roughly 95 percent of what a kitchen gardener actually grows. Within each family there can be hundreds of cultivars — tomato alone has more than 10,000 named varieties worldwide.
What is the easiest type of vegetable to grow?
Bush beans, courgette, lettuce, radish, and tomato are the five most beginner-friendly crops. They germinate reliably, crop within 8 to 10 weeks, and are forgiving of inconsistent watering. See our [easiest vegetables to grow](/blog/easiest-vegetables-to-grow) ranking for the full beginner list.
Which vegetables grow best together?
The classic pairings include tomato with basil, carrot with onion, lettuce with radish, and beans with sweetcorn (the Three Sisters with squash). Companion planting works by mixing pest-deterrent scents, balancing nutrient demands, and pairing tall crops with shade-tolerant under-storey. See [companion planting](/blog/companion-planting-guide) for the science.
How do I rotate vegetables in a small garden?
The simplest four-bed rotation puts brassicas in bed one, legumes plus salads in bed two, alliums plus roots in bed three, and nightshades plus cucurbits in bed four. Rotate each group forward by one bed every season. Nightshades and brassicas in particular should never repeat in the same bed two years running.
What vegetables can grow in shade?
Leafy crops tolerate partial shade better than fruiting crops. Lettuce, chard, kale, rocket, spinach, parsley, mint, and radish will crop in 3 to 4 hours of direct sun. Brassicas and beetroot tolerate dappled shade. Tomatoes, peppers, cucurbits, and most root vegetables need full sun (6+ hours).
When should I plant each type of vegetable?
Hardy crops (broad bean, garlic, onion sets, peas) go in autumn or early spring. Half-hardy crops (carrot, beetroot, parsnip, lettuce, brassica seedlings) go out in March to April. Tender crops (tomato, pepper, courgette, French bean, sweetcorn) wait until after the last frost — late May in most of the UK, mid-April to late May across the US depending on zone.
How do I know which family a vegetable belongs to?
Look at the seed packet — most reputable brands print the botanical name. The genus name (Brassica, Solanum, Allium, Phaseolus, Cucumis) tells you the family. The Royal Horticultural Society and university extension services publish full family lists. See our type guides ([types of tomatoes](/blog/types-of-tomatoes), [types of lettuce](/blog/types-of-lettuce)) for cultivar-level detail.