Ethan Erekson 
Image: ConcernedApe via HGG / Ethan Erekson
Ethan is our resident Stardew Valley expert. He has also covered Genshin Impact, Animal Crossing, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Spring is many things — the end of winter, the start of cherry blossom season, the time of year when trees sprout new leaves and when plants and flowers start to grow. Ultimately, spring is a season of change. It’s fitting that this is the season where you start a new game in Stardew Valley. Tired of their monotonous and unfulfilling life, your character quits their job and begins a new life on their late grandfather’s farm.
Maybe you’re a new player, and you want to make the most of your first year. Maybe you have some experience, and you want to make sure you don’t miss anything for your second time around. Whatever the case may be, here’s our guide to the best spring crops to plant in Stardew Valley. Soon, your farm will be everything you want it to be!
Most Profitable Spring Crops
The first thing you need to create your dream farm is money. If you want to make bank quickly, you should focus on crops that make you rich, rather than simply wasting your time. These are the best spring crops in Stardew Valley to plant and turn your dreams into a pseudo-reality.
Strawberries
First up, we have strawberries, one of the most iconic spring crops. You can purchase strawberry seeds at the Egg Festival for 100g, or make some of your own from last year’s leftover harvest using the Seed Maker. The nice thing about strawberries is that they’re a crop with multiple harvests — the longer you have them, the more you make.
Of course, if it’s your first year, you’ll only be able to squeeze in two harvests, as it takes eight days to grow and four days to regrow. However, since each strawberry sells for 120g, you’ll still be able to make more than other crops. You should definitely save up so you can buy as many strawberries as you can when the Egg Festival comes rolling around!
Rhubarb
Then there’s rhubarb, a crop that pairs quite well with strawberries. It’s usually not available until later on in the game, as you have to unlock the Bus first. From there, you can go to the desert and purchase the seeds from the Oasis for 100g. After that, it takes thirteen days of watering for it to mature and be ready to harvest. However, the extra effort is definitely worth it, as this spring crop sells for 220g.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another extremely profitable spring crop, and is far more accessible than strawberries and rhubarb since it can be purchased at Pierre’s for just 80g. This makes it a great crop if you’re just starting out, as you don’t have to wait or do anything before you can buy them. Cauliflower does take twelve days to grow, so you’ll need to plan ahead so you can harvest in time. Cauliflower is also one of three crops that have a small chance of turning into giant crops, so you can earn even more if you get lucky.
Most Popular Spring Crops
Want to make sure you have a date to the Flower Dance? Then these are the best spring crops for you.
In Stardew Valley, crops can make great gifts, and you can use them to level up your friendship with villagers. Once you hit four hearts with someone, you can ask them to dance. You’ll have to rely on other items as you wait for these crops to mature, but once you have them, your friendship progress will skyrocket.
Even if you prefer to keep your relationships strictly platonic, you can still plant some spring seeds. You’ll want to have plenty of wild horseradish for our favorite shadow person that lives in the sewers.
Tulip
Using the same methodology we used in our fall crops article, we’ve determined that tulips are the most popular spring crop. This flower is a favorite of Evelyn’s, and it is liked by most of the villagers (with the exception of Clint, George, and Sebastian). This makes it a great crop for gifting, as all but three villagers like receiving tulips as a gift.
Parsnip, Cauliflower, Strawberries
The rest of these crops are less beloved than tulips, but still pretty popular. Parsnips are a favorite of Pam’s and are well-liked by many villagers. They’re also the crop you start out with, which is a nice bonus. Strawberries and cauliflower are both loved by Maru, one of the bachelorettes in the game. Demetrius is also a fan of strawberries!
All of these make great gifts for most villagers, except for strawberries, as they’re far more neutral across the board than the other popular spring crops in Stardew Valley. As such, you’re probably best off selling strawberries unless you’re trying to build up friendship with Maru or Demetrius specifically.
Most Prominent Spring Crops
And then there are the crops that help you progress throughout the game. After all, you don’t want to keep Jodi waiting on her cauliflower and miss out on friendship and monetary rewards! Certain crops are also needed for the Community Center bundles, which give you access to new areas and features that let you progress further and faster. Here are Stardew Valley’s best spring crops to help you with that.
Cauliflower
On top of being a popular and profitable crop, cauliflower also plays a fairly big role in progression in Stardew Valley. It’s used for the previously mentioned quest with Jodi, and it’s also necessary for the Spring Crops bundle in the Community Center. You definitely want to get some planted so you can go ahead and get these tasks out of the way.
Green Bean, Parsnip, Potato
Even though cauliflower is the only spring crop used in any quests, you still need a handful of other crops to complete the Spring Crops bundle in the Community Center — namely green beans, parsnips, and potatoes — so you can work towards unlocking the Greenhouse. You’ll also want to make sure to plant plenty of parsnips, as you need a gold quality parsnip for the Quality Crops bundle. You don’t want all of your quality work in the spring to go to waste, after all.
Stardew Valley’s Best Spring Crop Overall
So out of all of these crops, which one is the best spring crop overall?
Obviously, it would have to be cauliflower. It’s both profitable and accessible, making it a great option for both new and seasoned players alike. It’s an important part in the overall progression in the game, as you need it to complete the Spring Crops bundle and a quest with Jodi. On top of that, it can give you an edge if you want to ask Maru to dance at the Flower Dance!
So if you’re wondering what to plant this spring in Stardew Valley, you can’t go wrong with cauliflower.
Join the High Ground
We hope you found this article on the best spring crops in Stardew Valley informative! Be sure to plant some cauliflower, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any of our upcoming Stardew Valley content. And feel free to leave any comments and questions below.
Happy gaming!
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