Here is where you’ll find a constantly updating list of Warm Temperate Food Forest Plants. I will add links to detailed descriptions of each as I post them including the most resilient of the lot as observed from our own food forest garden and those we have designed. It’s exciting to see some subtropical plants not only surviving but thriving in this climate if you choose the right microclimate (e.g. against a brick wall or mulch pit with grey water)
Our annuals had struggled under baking sun and then a dreary winter had snuffed out hope of even mild self-sufficiency until the following spring, 3pm the dreaded time that the flats next door snuffed out our sun each day. A year later our annual beds bloomed and tomatoes swayed seductively, it looked great and tasted better but it had been a slog against sun, wind and snail.
We finally turned our attention to our little attempt at a food forest, planted and then forgotten for almost a year. But to our surprise and delight it was not a tangle of weeds or barren earth that the annual bed seems to revert to when your trowel wavers for a moment, the opposite: parsley gone mad, banana plants soaring skyward, almond blossoming, Babaco at almost 45 degrees under its weight of fruit (despite being in full shade all winter) and green manure leaving soil moist and soft. Of course with a little more intervention it could have been more productive, but it had reached a state of balance on its own that meant I didn’t have to fret if I went on holidays, or empty a water tank to quench its thirst. Although a far cry from a true forest, our little “low maintenance” perennial garden was working.
From that moment I changed my design strategy: easy, low maintenance, productive and beautiful… a Food Forest Garden.
Now we have an exciting project on the horizon, a Forest Garden for the Flemington Community Garden. Stay tuned for more!
7 Layers of a Temperate Forest Garden
The 7 layer classification system was developed by Robert Hart from Prehistoric tropical garden methods in the 60s for more temperate climates. It provides a structure similar to that of a real forest that can be adapted from a large scale farm to that of a modest backyard. The architecture of a successful food forest considers not only light requirements of the plants, but water, shelter, root depths and other companion planting principles.
1. Canopy Layer
9m+ high nut, fruit and nitrogen fixing trees (Only larger FFGs)
2. Low-tree Layer
4m high, Dwarf Fruit / Nut Trees
Nitrogen Fixers & smaller trees
Shade tolerant trees
Pruned into open form for light
3. Shrub Layer
Woody perennial plants
Flowering, fruiting, wildlife attracting
4. Herbacious Layer
Perennial vegetables
Self seeding annuals
Bee & poultry forage
Mulch & soil builders, cover crops
5. Groundcover Layer
Less than 30cm high
Low, prostrate, creeping plants
Forms a living mulch – retain, suppress weed growth
6. Rhizosphere (Root) Layer
Edible roots & tubers
Shallow rooted, easy to dig
Longer rooted left to flower for beneficial insects
7. Vertical Layer
Climbers, creepers, vines
Twine around trunks or up fences, trellises, etc.
Habitat and food
Only in established Forest Garden, can strangle young trees
1. Canopy Layer
| Alder | Alnus |
| American Persimmon | Diospyros virginiana |
| Apple | Malus sylvestris |
| Arazole / Mediterranean Medlar | Crataegus azarolus |
| Black locust | Robinia pseudoacacia |
| Carob | Ceratonia siliqua |
| Cherry | Prunus avium |
| Chestnut | Castanea dentata |
| Chinese Chestnut | Castanea mollissima |
| Cornelian cherries | Cornus mas |
| European Plum (Myrobalan) | Prunus domestica |
| Hawthorn | Crataegus spp. |
| Highbush cranberries | Viburnum trilobum |
| Honey locusts | Gleditsia triacanthos |
| Japanese Walnut (Heartnut) | Juglans ailantifolia |
| Korean Stone Pine | Pinus koraiensis |
| Northern Pecan | Carya illinoinensis |
| Pear | Pyrus communis |
| Siberian Pea Tree | Caragana arborescens |
| Stone pine | Pinus pinea |
| Tagasaste/ tree Lucerne | Cytisus proliferus |
| Walnut | Juglans |
| Hawthorns | Crataegus monogyna |
| Medlar | Mespilus germanica |
| Mulberry | Morus spp. |
| Quince | Cydonia oblonga |
2. Low-Tree Layer
| Almond dwarf | Prunus dulcis |
| Apple Dwarf | Malus domestica |
| Apricot | Prunus armeniaca |
| Australian Round Lime | Citrus australis |
| Banana (Lady Finger) | Musa acuminata |
| Beech | Fagus sylvatica |
| Cherry Dwarf | Prunus avium |
| Citrus Dwarf | Citrus spp. |
| Crab Apple | Malus sp. |
| Date-plum | Diospyros lotus |
| Dogwood | Cornus |
| Elderberry | Sambucus nigra |
| Japanese peppers | Zanthoxylum spp. |
| Fruit Salad Plant | Monstera deliciosa |
| Nectarine | Prunus persica v. nectarina |
| Olive | Olea europaea |
| Pawpaw, Papaya | Carica papaya |
| Peach Dwarf | Prunus persica |
| Pear Dwarf | Pyrus communis |
| Persimmon Dwarf | Diospyros spp. |
| Plum Dwarf | Prunus domestica |
| Service Tree | Sorbus domestica |
| Tamarillo, Tree Tomato | Cyphomandra betacea |
| Tree mugwort | Artemisia arborescens |
| Bamboo ‘Gracilis’ | Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’ |
| Serviceberry | Amelanchier spp. |
| Silverberry | Elaeagnus |
| Acacia/Wattles | Acacia spp. |
3. Shrub Layer
| Acacia/Wattle | Acacia spp. |
| Austral Indigo | Indigofera australis |
| Blackberry | Rubus fruticosus |
| Blueberry | Vaccinium spp. |
| Cape Gooseberry | Physalis peruviana |
| Currants | Ribes spp |
| Curry Plant | Helichrysum italicum |
| Edible Savlias | Salvia spp. |
| Goji berries | Lycium barbarum |
| Gooseberry | Ribes Uva-crispa |
| Guavas | Myrtus spp. |
| Jostaberry | Ribes x culverwellii |
| Large Kangaroo Apple | Solanum laciniatum |
| lavender | lavandula angustifolia |
| Lemon Verbena | Aloysia triphylla |
| Mountain Marigold | Tagetes lemmonii |
| Nodding Saltbush | Einadia wutans |
| Perennial Basil | Ocimum gratissimum |
| Perennial Chilli, Rocoto Chilli | Capsicum pubescens |
| Raspberry | Rubus spp. |
| River Mint | Mentha australis |
| Rose | Rosa |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis |
| Scented Geraniums | Pelargonium graveolens |
| Southernwood | Artemisia abrotanum |
| Tomatillo | Physalis philadelphica |
| Wormwood | Artemisia absinthium |
4. Herbacious Layer
| Asparagus | Asparagus officinalis |
| Balm | Melissa officinalis |
| Borage | Borago officinalis |
| Broad bean | Vicia faba |
| Buckwheat | Fagopyrum esculentum |
| Calendula | Calendula officinalis |
| Comfrey, Knitbone | Symphytum officinale |
| Dill | Anethum graveolens |
| Fennel | Foeniculum vulgare |
| French Sorrel | Rumex scutatus |
| Garden Mint | Mentha sachalinensis |
| Garlic Chives | Allium tuberosum |
| Globe Artichoke | Cynara scolymus |
| Hyssop | Cynara cardunculus |
| Lemongrass | Cymbopogon spp |
| Lovage | Levisticum officinale |
| Marigold | Tagetes |
| Mint | Mentha spp. |
| Oregano | Origanum vulgare |
| Parsley | Petroselinum spp. |
| Pepino, Pepino Dulce, Melon Pear | Solanum muricatum |
| Perpetual/Perennial Spinach | Beta vulgaris var. cicla |
| Phacelia | Phacelia Tanacetifolia |
| Rhubarb | Rheum rhabarbarum |
| Sorrel | Rumex acetosa |
| Stevia | Stevia rebaudiana |
| Tansy | Tanacetum vulgare |
| Yarrow | Achillea millefolium |
5. Groundcover Layer
| Alpine Strawberries | Fragaria x vesca |
| Sweet Alyssum | Lobularia maritima |
| Basil Thyme | Acinos arvensi |
| Black Cumin | Nigella Sativa |
| Clover | Trifolium |
| Coral Pea | Hardenbergia violacea |
| Corsican Mint | Mentha requienii |
| Cranberry | Vaccinium Oxycoccus spp. |
| Creeping Oregon Grape | Mahonia aquifolium |
| Creeping Snowberry | Gaultheria hispidula |
| Creeping Thyme | Thymus serpyllum |
| Fat hen | Chenopodium album |
| Ground Elder | Aegopodium podagraria |
| Kamchatka Bilberry | Vaccinium praestans |
| Lingonberries | Vaccinium vitis-idaea |
| Lowbush Blueberries | Vaccinium angustifolium |
| Marshmallow | Althaea officinalis |
| Miner’s Lettuce | Claytonia perfoliata |
| Nasturtium | Tropaeolum majus |
| Pigface | Carpobrotus modestus |
| Prostrate Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’ or ‘Huntington Carpet’ |
| Roman Chamomile | Chamaemelum nobile |
| Running Postman | Kennedia spp. |
| Sweet Violets | Viola odorata |
| Vervain | Verbena officinali |
| Warrigal Greens | Tetragonia tetragonoides |
| Wintergreen | Gaultheria procumbens |
6. Rhizosphere Layer
| Arrowroot | Maranta arundinacea |
| Beetroot | Beta vulgaris |
| Carrot | Daucus carota sativus |
| Cassava (Tapioca) | Manihot esculenta |
| Chicory | Cichorium intybus |
| Chives | Allium schoenoprasum |
| Daikon | Raphanus sativus L. |
| Daylilly | Hemerocallis fulva |
| Echinacea | Echinacea angustifolia |
| Garlic | Allium sativum |
| Ginger | Zingiber officinale |
| Ginseng | Panax spp. |
| Groundnut | Apios americana |
| Horseradish | Armoracia rusticana |
| Jerusalem artichoke | Helianthus tuberosum |
| Liquorice | Glycyrrhiza spp. |
| Native ginger | Hornstedtia scottiana |
| Oca, New Zealand Yam | Oxalis tuberosa |
| Onion | Allium cepa |
| Parsnip | Pastinaca sativa |
| Potato | Solanum tuberosum |
| Salsify | Tragopogon spp. |
| Sweet Potato | Ipomoea batatas |
| Tree/Egyptian Walking Onions | Allium cepa var. proliferum |
| Welsh onion | Allium fistulosum |
| Yacon | Smallanthus sonchifolius |
| Yam Daisy | Microseris scapigera |
7. Vertical Layer
| Cantaloupe | Cucumis melo reticulatus |
| Chokos | Sechium edule |
| Climbing peas | Pisum sativum |
| Coral Pea | Hardenbergia violacea |
| Cucumbers | Cucumis sativus |
| Grape -Sultana | Vitis vinifera |
| Grapes | Vitis spp |
| Honeydew Melon | Cucumis melo inodorus |
| Honeysuckle (Blue-berried) | Lonicera caerulea |
| Hops | Humulus lupulus |
| Kiwi Berry / Hardy Kiwifruit | Actinidia arguta |
| Kiwi fruit | Actinidia spp |
| Malabar Spinach | Basella alba ‘Rubra’ |
| Maypop | Passiflora incarnata |
| Nasturtium (Climbing) | Tropaeolum majus |
| Passionfruit | Passiflora edulis |
| Perennial bean (scarlet runner bean) | Phaseolus coccineus |
| Pumpkin | Cucurbita pepo |
| Soybean | Glycine max |
| Squash | Cucurbita |
| Sweet Potato (‘Bush Porto Rico’/’Centennial’) | Ipomoea batatas |
| Watermelon | Citrullus lanatus |
| Wild grape | Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris |
| Zucchini | Cucurbita pepo |
33 Comments
Wow! What an incredible resource, so many species to learn more about and to experiment with!! Looking forward to hearing more about Food forest at the Flemington community garden!! Awesome stuff 🙂
Thanks so much for your comment Simon, it means a lot to me! Hopefully we’ll see you at the Food Forest Blitz!
where is the Food Forest Blitz
Oh I love this! How wonderful to have a “low maintenance” perennial garden. It’s amazing when things just take off and do well on their own without much human intervention. I need to plant more of those things! 🙂
Thanks for your comment Tammy! It takes a bit of work to get things started but when it hits that sweet equilibrium it’s amazing!
Such a seductive post- how I wish to linger beneath the lush firest canopy you so artfully describe! You have managed to be at once inspiring and practical; LOVE the layer descriptions and species lists.. I’ll be planting up the rhizosphere (sorry other Layers, but it’s clear who has the coolest name) with you at Farnham St 😀 And to adding to the Groundcover Layer, one in your own garden Jo (if the chickens haven’t gotten to it): Gotu Kola, a.k.a Pennywort, magical tea herb of the ages, aiding memory, complexion, reducing anxiety, anti-ageing.. all-round life-brightener!
Thanks for you comment CB, such poetry!
The botanical names for the vertical layers don’t match up for the bottom half of the list
Thanks for your comment Neal, the formatting anomaly has been fixed.
Thanks for sharing this list. Very helpful.
All the pictures from the different layers are beautiful, enticing, and helpful. Glad I found your site!
Thanks for your comment Chris, so glad you found it interesting. 🙂
Hello, a question from Austria: have you tried the (edible?) berries of citronella mucronata as yet?
Hi Robert, I haven’t seen the fruit listed as edible, I wouldn’t eat it, perhaps there is more information on the subject in Spanish. It is reported that the bark and leaves have been used in folk medicine to induce vomiting and have a laxative effect. It is prized ornamentally for its attractive glossy leaves and fragrant flowers. I’ve heard its wood is very good for construction and the bark can be used for tanning leather. It is very hardy, but prefers a climate that has a lots of rainfall.
Thank you, I’ve been looking for a list like this for a college paper I’m working. This is a great resource. I was wondering what zone most of these plants are listed for?
They look like they are from all of the zones … the list is varied 🙂
Hi Jon, thanks for your comment, I hope the paper is going well. The zone is Warm Temperate (Melbourne, Australia) heat zone 4 cold zone 10. As this is a city it is warmer than the cooler temperate areas around (heat island effect) so we can get away with planting some subtropical plants if we place this in warm spots that receive sun most of the day in winter and/or are located near a high thermal mass wall that heats up in the morning (e.g. brick wall). There are certain varieties that are more forgiving of cooler climates as well such as Lady Finger bananas.
What is your college paper about?
How awesome! So much info here thank you for collecting this so precisely. I am starting our mini food forest now! So excited 🙂 Happy Friday!!
That’s so cool LaNita! Let me know how you go! I will be posting a new Food Forest planning /staging guide in a month or so, I hope that will be helpful to you as well! 🙂
Hiya…great blog! However there seems to be something wrong with the format? All of the plant listings for the different layers are typed vertically so its almost impossible to read…why is this? Im most excited by the listings of plants for a warm temparate climate and that is the information I can’t see!
Hi Jane,
Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure what you mean as it looks fine on my screen, I thought perhaps it might be because you were reading it on a small screen like a phone or tablet so I changed the coding to be full width for smaller devices. Let me know if you are still having troubles and send me a screenshot so I can see what you mean. All the best in your food forest adventures.
This is as is great site and very helpfu. I was looking for something like this that breaks down the different layers and provides a list of some plants to use. I currently live in New Jersey, but I’m planning to retire to the Caribbean in about 10-11 years, so I started to experiment with different plants. I’m bringing different fruit trees from around the word that fit the climate (Zone 11b I think it’s very hot year around) in the area I’m planning to retire to. Any suggestions on plants (shrugs, trees, grasses) for that type of climate? I’m planning on having chickens, guinea hens, pigeons and rabbit as part of the system. The area I’m setting up for this project is relative small about 150 by 130 or so. With a couple of small areas around the property that can be set up for vegetables and herbs.
this article has been posted at Food-forests-for-health-peace-love-bliss https://www.facebook.com/Food-forests-for-health-peace-love-bliss-347638495382415/?ref=hl
looks really good , thank you so much, we gratefully appreciate you , sending blessings from the team at Food forests for healing, health & peace https://www.facebook.com/Food-forests-for-healing-health-peace-347638495382415/
please join our group and post your blessings Food forests for healing & health https://www.facebook.com/groups/361195824263441/
Thank you for your post. I have planted some fruit trees and wanted to understand the options for my shrub layer in Melbourne. Fantastic resource! Thank you!