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Small Perennials/Herbs 15-50cm (6-18in.) for Temperate Food Forests

Rated 3, 4 or 5 out of 5 for edibility

Aralia nudicaulis

Wild Sarsaparilla
Height H: 0.4m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Shade, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Aralia nudicaulis
4 3 0

Asarum splendens

Chinese Wild Ginger
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Shade, Semi-shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Asarum splendens
3 0 3

Astragalus crassicarpus

Ground Plum, Groundplum milkvetch
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Light Sun
Moisture Dry

 

Astragalus crassicarpus
4 1 3 Nitrogen Fixer Nitrogen Fixer

Balsamorhiza sagittata

Oregon Sunflower, Arrowleaf balsamroot
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Balsamorhiza sagittata
4 2 2

Callirhoe involucrata

Poppy Mallow, Purple poppymallow, Winecup, Finger Poppy Mallow
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Callirhoe involucrata
3 2 0

Campanula carpatica

Tussock Bellflower, Carpathian Bellflower, Carpathian Harebell
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Campanula carpatica
3 0 2

Campanula portenschlagiana

Adria Bellflower
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Campanula portenschlagiana
3 0 3

Cardamine pratensis

Cuckoo Flower
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist or wet

 

Cardamine pratensis
3 2 2

Chenopodium bonus-henricus

Good King Henry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun
Moisture Moist

 

Chenopodium bonus-henricus
4 2 1

Claytonia megarhiza

Alpine Spring Beauty
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun
Moisture Moist

 

Claytonia megarhiza
3 0 0

Claytonia sibirica

Pink Purslane, Siberian springbeauty
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade, Shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Claytonia sibirica
4 1 0

Claytonia virginica

Spring Beauty, Virginia springbeauty, Hammond's claytonia, Yellow Virginia springbeauty
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 7
Light Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Claytonia virginica
3 1 0

Conopodium majus

Pignut
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Conopodium majus
3 0 0

Cornus canadensis

Creeping Dogwood, Bunchberry dogwood, Bunchberry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 2 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Cornus canadensis
4 2 2

Cymopterus purpurascens

Gamote, Widewing springparsley
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Light Sun
Moisture Dry

 

Cymopterus purpurascens
4 0 1

Dentaria diphylla

Crinkleroot
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Light Shade, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Dentaria diphylla
4 2 0

Epilobium latifolium

River Beauty
Height H: 0.4m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Epilobium latifolium
3 2 1

Eryngium maritimum

Sea Holly, Seaside eryngo
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Eryngium maritimum
3 3 2

Fragaria moschata

Hautbois Strawberry
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Fragaria moschata
3 0 2

Fragaria vesca

Wild Strawberry, Woodland strawberry, California strawberry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Fragaria vesca
3 3 3

Fragaria virginiana

Scarlet Strawberry, Virginia strawberry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Fragaria virginiana
3 2 2

Fragaria viridis

Green Strawberry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Fragaria viridis
3 0 3

Fragaria x ananassa

Strawberry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Fragaria x ananassa
5 0 3

Galium odoratum

Sweet Woodruff, Sweetscented bedstraw, Bedstraw
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Shade, Semi-shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Galium odoratum
3 3 3

Geum rivale

Water Avens, Purple avens
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist or wet

 

Geum rivale
3 2 1

Geum urbanum

Wood Avens, Bennet's Root - Old man's whiskers, Herb bennet
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Geum urbanum
3 3 2

Hemerocallis dumortieri

Dumortier's daylily
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Hemerocallis dumortieri
4 1 3

Hemerocallis minor

Grassleaf Day Lily, Small daylily
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Hemerocallis minor
4 1 2

Hemerocallis thunbergii

Day Lily
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Hemerocallis thunbergii
4 1 2

Hosta longipes

Hosta
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade, Shade
Moisture Moist

 

Hosta longipes
3 0 3

Lycopus uniflorus

Bugleweed, Northern bugleweed
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist or wet

 

Lycopus uniflorus
3 1 0

Malva sylvestris

Mallow, High mallow, French Hollyhock, Common Mallow, Tree Mallow, Tall Mallow
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Malva sylvestris
3 3 3

Medeola virginiana

Indian Cucumber Root
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Medeola virginiana
4 1 1

Mentha arvensis

Corn Mint, Wild mint
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Mentha arvensis
3 2 3

Mentha x piperita officinalis

White Peppermint
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Mentha x piperita officinalis
3 5 3

Mertensia maritima

Oyster Plant
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Mertensia maritima
3 0 0

Nasturtium officinale

Watercress
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 11
Light Sun
Moisture Wet or water

 

Nasturtium officinale
4 3 2

Opuntia compressa

Eastern Prickly Pear, Prickly Pear Cactus
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10
Light Sun
Moisture Dry

 

Opuntia compressa
3 1 2

Oxalis oregana

Redwood Sorrel
Height H: 0.2m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade, Shade
Moisture Moist

 

Oxalis oregana
3 1 3

Oxalis tuberosa

Oca
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Light Sun
Moisture Moist

 

Oxalis tuberosa
5 0 0

Oxyria digyna

Mountain Sorrel, Alpine mountainsorrel
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 2 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Oxyria digyna
3 1 0

Peltaria alliacea

Garlic Cress
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Peltaria alliacea
4 0 3

Polygonum bistorta

Bistort, Meadow bistort, Snakeweed
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist or wet

 

Polygonum bistorta
3 3 2

Polygonum bistortoides

American Bistort
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Polygonum bistortoides
3 1 0

Polygonum viviparum

Alpine Bistort
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Polygonum viviparum
3 1 0

Potentilla anserina

Silverweed
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Potentilla anserina
3 3 2

Primula vulgaris

Primrose, Common Primrose, English Primrose
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Primula vulgaris
3 3 3

Psoralea esculenta

Breadroot, Large Indian breadroot
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun
Moisture Dry to Moist

 

Psoralea esculenta
5 1 3 Nitrogen Fixer Nitrogen Fixer

Reichardia picroides

French Scorzonera, Common brighteyes
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Reichardia picroides
5 0 0

Rhexia virginica

Deer Grass, Handsome Harry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Sun
Moisture Moist

 

Rhexia virginica
3 1 0

Rubus chamaemorus

Cloudberry
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 2 to 4
Light Sun
Moisture Moist or wet

 

Rubus chamaemorus
4 1 2

Rumex acetosella

Sheeps Sorrel, Common sheep sorrel
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Rumex acetosella
4 3 1

Stachys affinis

Chinese Artichoke, Artichoke betony
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Stachys affinis
4 1 0

Stellaria jamesiana

tuber starwort
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Stellaria jamesiana
3 0 0

Streptopus roseus

Scootberry
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Light Shade, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Streptopus roseus
4 2 0

Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion - Kukraundha, Kanphool, Common dandelion, Dandelion
Height H: 0.5m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Taraxacum officinale
4 3 3

Ullucus tuberosus

Olluco
Height H: 0.3m or 1ft
Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10
Light Sun
Moisture Moist

 

Ullucus tuberosus
3 0 0

Viola canadensis

Canada Violet, Canadian white violet, Creepingroot violet
Height H: 0.4m or 2ft
Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Light Sun, Semi-shade
Moisture Moist

 

Viola canadensis
3 1 2

Now available: PLANTS FOR YOUR FOOD FOREST: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens.

An important new book from PFAF. It focuses on the attributes of plants suitable for food forests, what each can contribute to a food forest ecosystem, including carbon sequestration, and the kinds of foods they yield. The book suggests that community and small-scale food forests can provide a real alternative to intensive industrialised agriculture, and help to combat the many inter-related environmental crises that threaten the very future of life on Earth.

Read More

FOOD FOREST PLANTS

 

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