I’ve compiled a list of 150 edible and functional plants growing in my permaculture garden.
These are growing in a diverse polyculture on our one-acre plot within Crystal Waters Permaculture Village, the Australian ecovillage. My subtropical garden has received an edible landscape award and I open it periodically for workshops and tours.
I love foraging in my garden. There’s always something new happening. It is a place of much joy and connection for me, and I’ve set it up so it’s not at all hard work.
In many ways the garden is a central part of our lives. It’s my children’s classroom. It is our pantry. It’s our medicine cabinet. It’s our source of table flowers and natural dyes. It’s the basis of my livelihood and it our resilience. It is a place of learning, teaching, inquiry, creativity and discovery. It is a source too of many gifts, abundance and happiness. Over 10,000 edible perennial cuttings and many 1000s of easy to grow seeds have been given away from this garden.
Back in winter, my brother and I made this short film – the first of the weekly films on my YouTube Channel: Our Permaculture Life.
Perhaps you may have already seen it. In this film I take you on a walkabout deep into my edible landscape – the kitchen garden and food forest – sharing design ideas, my low-input garden philosophy and introducing the first 50 or so plants on the list below and explaining their uses.
Today I have added the common names of another 150 edible, medicinal and useful plants that I have in my edible eco-system. This is not a complete list of my plants – still working on that, and of course, it is seasonal too.
- Lemon Myrtle – Backhousia citriodora
- Cranberry Hibiscus – Hibiscus acetosella
- Society Garlic – Tulbaghia violecea
- Mustard Spinach – Brassica juncea
- Snow Peas – Pisum sativum var. saccharatum
- Carrot – Daucus carota subsp. sativus
- Sweet Potato – Ipomoea batatas
- Pumpkin – Cucurbita pepo
- Pepino – Solanum muricatum
- Dwarf Washington Navel Orange – Citrus sinensis ‘Washington Navel’
- Comfrey – Symphytum officinale
- Pigeon Pea – Cajanus cajan
- Yacon – Smallanthus sonchifolius
- Turmeric – Curcurma longa
- Pelargonium /Scented Geranium – Pelargonium graveolens
- Madagascar Bean – Phaseolus lunatus
- Brazilian Spinach – Alternanthera sissoo
- Surinam Spinach – Talinum triangulare
- Green Frills Mustard Spinach – Brassica juncea
- Society Garlic – Tulbaghia violecea
- Asparagus – Asparagus officinalis
- Giant Red Mustard Spinach – Brassica juncea
- Cherry Tomato – Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme
- Perennial Welsh Onion – Allium fistulosum L.
- Chilli – Capsicum annum
- Aloe Vera – Aloe barbadensis
- Yarrow – Achillea millefolium
- Rocket/Arugula – Eruca sativa
- Kale – Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
- Broccoli – Brassica oleracea var. italica
- Laos Ginger / Galangal – Alpinia galanga
- Chilli – Capsicum annum
- Blue Java (Ice cream) Banana – Musa acuminata x bulbisiana
- Tulsi – Ocinum sanctum
- Imperial Mandarin – Citrus reticulata ‘Imperial’
- Dwarf Blood Orange – Citrus sinensis
- Acerola/Barbados Cherry – Malpighia emarginata
- Jaboticaba – Myrciaria cauliflora
- Malabar chestnut – Pachira acquatica
- Lilly Pilly – Syzygium leuhmannii
- Bottlebrush – Callistemon viminalis
- Buddha’s Hand – Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
- Tahitian Lime – Citrus x latifolia
- Hickson Mandarin – Citrus reticulata ‘Hickson’
- Ruby Grapefruit – Citrus x paradisi
- Fig – Ficus carica
- Bay Tree – Laurus nobilis
- Lemongrass – Cymbopogon citratus
- Dragon Fruit – Hylocereus undutas
- Native Ginger – Alpinia caerulea
- Cassava – Manihot esculenta
- Olive – Olea europaea
- Pawpaw – Carica papaya
- Kang Kong/Water Spinach – Ipomoea aquatica
- Watermelon
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Corn
- Spinach
- Silverbeet
- Rainbow Chard
- Savoy Cabbage
- Tuscan Kale
- Curly Kale
- Russian Kale
- Perennial Leek
- Shallots
- Capsicum
- Beetroot
- Coriander
- Curly Parsley
- Flat leaf parsley
- Mexican Tarragon
- Sorrel
- Weeping Rosemary
- Marigold
- Lemon Balm
- Chocolate Mint
- Japanese Mint
- Rosemary
- Oregano
- Mizuna
- Endive
- Pak Choy
- Licorice
- Perilla
- Okinawan Spinach
- Amaranth
- Nasturtium
- Radium Weed
- Shepherd’s Purse
- Dandelion
- Chickweed
- Horseradish
- Snake Bean
- Vietnamese Mint
- Stevia
- Chia
- Ginger
- Basil
- Lemon Basil
- Purple Basil
- Thai Basil
- Greek Basil
- Clove Basil
- Giant Perennial Basil
- Pineapple Sage
- Thyme
- Potato (kipfler)
- Brown Onion
- Red Onion
- Kaffir Lime
- Tea
- Coffee
- Jasmine
- Rose
- Frangipani
- Osmanthus
- Choko
- Taro
- Cocoyam
- Calendula
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Oregano
- Neem Tree
- Curry Leaf Tree
- Strawberry
- Goji berry
- Grumichamma
- Avocado
- Pomegranate
- White Mulberry
- Black Mulberry
- White Shatoot Mulberry
- Japanese Raisin Tree
- Icecream Bean Tree
- Passionfruit
- Macadamia
- Pecan
- Midyim Berry
- Finger Lime
- Grey Myrtle
- Lomandra
- Candlenut Tree
- Plum Pine
- Lemon Scented Eucalypt
- Silky Oak
- Native Raspberry
- Davidson’s Plum
Links to my pages:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourpermaculturelife/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/moraggambleourpermaculturelife
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moraggamble/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MoragGambleOurPermacultureLife/posts
Morag: A very nice diversity of valuable plants. We are in a semi-tropical zone here on the central west coast of Florida (St. Petersburg) and can grow most of what you list. It would be helpful to organize the list a little differently e.g. annual vegetables, perennial vegetables, herbs, vines, ground covers, medicinals, nitrogen fixers etc. for ease of reference and usage. I very much enjoy your regular postings. You present a complete package of family, community, and permaculture all contextualized in the joy of living. Thank you.
Thanks very much – and a good suggestion to organise the plant list better with headings. As it stands – the first 54 are the order they appear in the film, the next 96 are clustered in plant types.
I have jasmine growing, what part is edible? And what part of the bottle brush is edible?
I have many of the plants on your list growing already, but unfortunately alot on the plants on your list are not frost hardy and would die during my 10 degree nights.
I've already built a rock berm behind my fig tree and will be putting 5 gallon bottle full of water in front of it and a "planket" over it.
Always looking for advice on how to keep plants alive thru the winter.
hi there, by any chance have you written a book on the process you went through to start such a wonderful garden? I am in the beginning stages at the moment but am struggling to start small but with the bigger picture in mind. Or maybe you can recommend a book that walks through the process? Thanks!