In January 2022 we (PFAF) announced our Food Forest Fund (FFF), which is designed to award small grants to help new food forest projects get started, or move on to a new stage. In recent years PFAF has been focused…
The Amelanchier genus consists of small deciduous trees or large shrubs with small blackcurrant-sized fruit. Several species are excellent to eat raw, tasting like a blueberry with a hint of almond or apple flavour from the seeds. The fruit ripens…
Hyssop is a small evergreen shrub in the mint family growing to 0.6m (2ft) and native to Southern Europe and the Middle East. Is Hyssop Edible? The leaves, young shoot tips and flowers have an intensely aromatic flavour, somewhat like…
Akebia species are vigorous twining, semi-evergreen climbing shrubs with edible fruit available in autumn. Chocolate Vine (A. quinata), growing to 12m (40ft) or more, twines into trees and shrubs. It is very amenable to trimming in early spring. The root…
Ipomoea aquatica Ipomoea aquatica, commonly known as the water morning glory or Kangkong, is a perennial flowering plant. It is native to moist areas of the Americas, where it grows in water or wet soils. I. aquatica can reach up…
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…
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…
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 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, 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. …
