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Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 plants for temperate food forests and permaculture gardens
A food forest is a form of regenerative farming, a designed ecosystem modelled on nature, with the aim of growing food and sequestering carbon at the same time. As a forest it will consist of plants which occupy different layers, typically a canopy layer, shrub layer, herb layer and climbers. All plants will be perennials in order for the soil to be wild, undisturbed and regenerating. All plants will be food producing, will sequester carbon in their woody parts or in the soil, and will have useful functions in the forest ecosystem.
The choice of what to grow in a food forest is challenging. It is not simply a matter of deciding what would be good to eat, and planting the corresponding food plants in beds alongside rows or patches of woodland. Most books about food forests, woodland gardening or carbon farming concentrate on the design principles involved. The focus of this book is the plants, their characteristics and personalities, what they have to offer a food forest ecosystem, as well as what kinds of foods they yield.
We have selected over 500 plants that provide a mix of different growing conditions, plant size and structure, type of food, and contribution to a food forest ecosystem. There is also a quick-reference table of the key characteristics. The featured plants are arranged in sections corresponding to Forest Shrubs, Groundcover Shrubs, Trees, Herbaceous Plants, Herbaceous Groundcover Plants, Running Bamboos, Bulbs, Climbers. Further details of all the plants described here are available from the PFAF Plants Database, which can be accessed free of charge at pfaf.org
The choice of what to grow in a food forest is challenging. It is not simply a matter of deciding what would be good to eat, and planting the corresponding food plants in beds alongside rows or patches of woodland. Most books about food forests, woodland gardening or carbon farming concentrate on the design principles involved. The focus of this book is the plants, their characteristics and personalities, what they have to offer a food forest ecosystem, as well as what kinds of foods they yield.
We have selected over 500 plants that provide a mix of different growing conditions, plant size and structure, type of food, and contribution to a food forest ecosystem. There is also a quick-reference table of the key characteristics. The featured plants are arranged in sections corresponding to Forest Shrubs, Groundcover Shrubs, Trees, Herbaceous Plants, Herbaceous Groundcover Plants, Running Bamboos, Bulbs, Climbers. Further details of all the plants described here are available from the PFAF Plants Database, which can be accessed free of charge at pfaf.org
- GenresGardening
94 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2021
89 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 28, 2025
This is an awesome book! I got 2 books on permaculture, and was disappointed with both of them. This book fit permaculture better than either of them.
There's a drawing of each plant, the official name, and 1 or 2 common names. The book tells you what parts are edible, if they should be blanched, etc. It also mentions if the plants are invasive (be aware, though, that some of the plants may be invasive but are not listed as such. Peppermint, for example).
If you are familiar with the plant(s) you want, buy the plants from a nursery, or get them from someone who knows what they're giving you, you should be good. If you are unfamiliar and looking for them in the wild, you might want to bring along someone familiar with the plant(s) you are looking for. The drawings are a good guide, but some plants have lookalikes that may not be edible.
There's a drawing of each plant, the official name, and 1 or 2 common names. The book tells you what parts are edible, if they should be blanched, etc. It also mentions if the plants are invasive (be aware, though, that some of the plants may be invasive but are not listed as such. Peppermint, for example).
If you are familiar with the plant(s) you want, buy the plants from a nursery, or get them from someone who knows what they're giving you, you should be good. If you are unfamiliar and looking for them in the wild, you might want to bring along someone familiar with the plant(s) you are looking for. The drawings are a good guide, but some plants have lookalikes that may not be edible.
catching-up
January 28, 2025this book seems very helpful, but I don't have any opportunity to utilize its knowledge.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews