Ground Elder |Aegopodium podagraria
Ground Elder has a long history of edible and medicinal use; indeed, it was cultivated as a food crop and medicinal herb in the Middle Ages. It was used mainly as a food that could counteract gout, one of the…
Category Forest Gardening
Birch | Betula species
Birch species are small to medium-sized deciduous hardwood trees or shrubs. They are fast-growing, relatively short-lived pioneer species that often invade bare land. The root pattern is a heart root, dividing from the crown into several primary roots. Birch species…
Prostrate Edible Shrubs
We’ve included five of our favourite Prostrate Edible Shrubs in a quick reference guide. Each plant card links to the original PFAF plant page. The quick reference guide includes: Height in Feet and Metres The Hardiness Zone Light and…
Partridge Berry | Mitchella repens
Partridge Berry is an excellent creeping groundcover for a shady spot on neutral to acid soils that succeed in the shade of trees. It is prostrate, growing to 0.1 m (4in). As the plant creeps, the stems form new roots…
Alfalfa, Lucerne Medicago sativa
Alfalfa, also called lucerne, is a medium-sized nitrogen-fixing perennial in the legume family cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries. Ancient Greeks and Romans produced Alfalfa as livestock fodder. It is excellent green manure and a cover crop. …
Balsamroot Sunflower | Balsamorhiza sagittata
Balsamroot sunflower is a small attractive perennial growing to 0.3m (1ft), making an excellent groundcover. Is Balsamroot sunflower edible? You can eat raw or cooked young shoots and add them to salads or use them as a herb. Boil large…
Mashua | Tropaeolum tuberosum
This beautiful climbing plant is only hardy in the milder areas of the UK, where it can reach a height of 6 ft or more. It flowers freely in late summer and then dies down with the first hard frosts…
Beech | Fagus sylvatica
Native to Europe, including the UK. Introduced to North America. The European Beech, or Common Beech, is a large deciduous tree growing to 30m (100ft) by 15m (50ft) with a trunk that can reach 3m (10ft) in diameter. They can…
Chinquapin | Castanea pumila
Chinquapin is a spreading slow-growing shrub or small tree to 4m (12ft) closely related to the American chestnut, Castanea dentata. It is commonly known as the Allegheny chinquapin, American chinquapin or dwarf chestnut. Chinquapin has smaller leaves and fruit than other…
Daylily Hemerocallis species
Edible Perennial Groundcovers Daylilies are hardy evergreen or herbaceous perennials with large and attractive funnel-shaped blooms in late spring or early summer, similar to lily flowers. They are straightforward to grow, with many forms tolerant of almost total neglect. All…