Aegopodium podagraria – ground elder
Herbaceous perennial. Young leaf shoots.
Alliaria petiolata– garlic mustard, hedge garlic
Herbaceous perennial. Don’t allow to seed. Young leaves, flower stems, shoots, roots.
Allium ampeloprasum – perennial leeks including Babington leek and elephant garlic
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Bulbs, stems, leaves, bulbils.
Allium cernuum – nodding onion, prairie onion
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Leaves, flowers.
Allium x proliferum – tree onion, walking onion, Egyptian onion
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Bulbs, leaves, stems, bulbils.
Allium fistulosum – welsh onion
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Leaves, stem, flowers.
Allium moly – golden garlic Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Bulbs, leaves, flowers.
Allium nutans – blue chives, Siberian chives
Herbaceous perennial. Stems, leaves, flowers.
Allium sativum – garlic
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Bulbs, stems, leaves, scapes.
Allium schoenoprasum – chives
Herbaceous perennial. Stems, leaves, flowers.
Allium senescens – broadleaf chives
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Stems, leaves, scapes.
Allium tuberosum – Chinese chives, garlic chives
Herbaceous perennial. Stems, leaves, flowers.
Allium ursinum – ramsons, ramps, wild garlic
Herbaceous perennial with bulbs. Bulbs, leaves, flowers.
Allium victorialis – alpine leek, victory onion
Herbaceous perennial. Stems, leaves, scapes.
Amelanchier alnifolia – saskatoon
Fruit. Large shrub.
Amelanchier canadensis – juneberry
Fruit. Tree.
Angelica archangelica – angelica
Young stem. Biennial/herbaceous perennial.
Apium graveolens – wild celery
Leaves, shoots, flower shoots. Biennial/herbaceous perennial.
Aralia cordata – udo
Shoots, young leaves. Large herbaceous perennial.
Argentina anserina – silverweed, was Potentilla anserina
SPreading plant with tasty starchy roots. Needs to be grown in a pot.
Armoracia rusticana – horseradish
Roots. Herbaceaous perennial.
Aronia melanocarpa – chokeberry, aronia
Fruit. Shrub.
Asphodeline lutea – king’s spear
Leaves, flowers, flower spike. Herbaceous perennial.
Atriplex halimus – sea orache, saltbush
I love the salty-tasting leaves of this plant and so have tried introducing it several times. Unfortunately it always dies out during cold winters. Update: I may finally have succeeded. Winter wet seems to be saltbush’s biggest enemy, so a well-drained planting place gives it the best chance. The variety ‘Cascais’ is good for large leaves and short internodes giving a bushy habit.
Auricularia auricula-judae – jelly ear fungus
Fruiting bodies. Fungus.
Barbarea verna – American land cress
Leaves. Annual/biennial.
Beta vulgaris maritima – sea beet
Leaves, flower stems. Biennial/Perennial.
Brassica oleracea botrytis aparagoides – 9-star perennial broccoli
Leaves, immature flowers. Short-lived perennial
Brassica oleracea var. ramosa – Daubenton’s kale
Leaves. Short-lived perennial.
Bunias orientalis – Turkish rocket
Immature flower shoots. Herbaceous perennial.
Campanula persicifolia – peach-leaved bellflower, salad bluebell
Flowers. Herbaceous perennial.
Campanula posharskyana – trailing bellflower
Leaves. Low perennial.
Chenopodium bonus-henricus – Good King Henry
Immature flower shoots. Herbaceous perennial.
Claytonia (syn Montia) perfoliata – miners’ lettuce
Leaves. Annial/biennial.
Claytonia (syn Montia) sibirica – pink purslane
Stems. Herbaceous perennial.
Conopodium majus – pignut
Tubers. Herbaceous perennial.
Crambe cordifolia – colewort
Young leaf shoots. Young flower stems (broccolis). Herbaceous perennial.
Cryptotaenia canadensis – honewort
Leaves. Herbaceaous perennial.
Cryptotaenia japonica – mitsuba
Leaves. Herbaceous perennial.
Cyperus esculentus – chufa / nutsedge
Tubers. Herbaceous perennial.
Erythronium revoltum ‘Pagoda’ – dog’s tooth violet, fawn lily
Bulbs. Herbaceous perennial.
Eruca versicaria – rocket
Leaves. Ann/bi.
Foeniculum vulgare – wild fennel
Leaves, stems, seeds. Perennial.
Fragaria x ananassa – cultivated strawberry
Fruit. Herbaceous perennial.
Fragaria vesca – wild strawberry
Fruit. Herbaceous perennial.
Fragaria vesca ‘Semperflorens’ – alpine strawberry
Fruit. Herbaceous perennial.
Gaultheria shallon – shallon
Fruit. Shrub.
Gaultheria mucronata – pernettya
Fruit. Shrub.
Glechoma hederacea – ground ivy
Leaves for tea. Herb perennial. Invasive: grow in tub.
Hablitzia tamnoides – Caucasian spinach
Leaves, winter shoots. Herbaceous perennial climber.
Hemerocallis dumortieri – daylily, copper lily
Flower buds, flowers. Herbaceous perennial.
Hemerocallis fulva – daylily
First leaves, flower buds, flowers. Herbaceous perennial.
Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus – yellow daylily
First leaves, flower buds, flowers. Herbaceous perennial.
Heracleum sphondylium – hogweed
Immature leaf shoots, flower buds, seeds (spice). Herbaceous perennial.
Humulus lupulus – dwarf hop
Shoot tips. Herbaceous perennial climber.
Lathyrus latifolius – everlasting pea
Leaves. Herbaceous perennial climber.
Lathyrus tuberosus – earthnut pea
Tubers. Scrambling herb perennial.
Lentinula edodes – shiitake
Fruiting bodies. Fungus.
Lepidium latifolium – dittander
Leaves, roots. Herbaceous perennial.
Leycesteria formosa – Himalayan honeysuckle
Fruit. Shrub.
Lilium lancifolium var splendens – tiger lily
Bulbs. Herbaceous perennial.
Lilium martagon – Turk’s-cap lily
Bulbs. Herbaceous perennial.
Ligusticum scoticum – Scots lovage
Leaves, leaf shoots. Herbaceous perennial.
Malus domestica – apple
Fruit. Tree.
Maianthemum (formerly Smilacina) racemosum – false spikenard
Stems. Herb per.
Maianthemum (formerly Smilacina) stellatum – star-flowered lily of the valley
Stems. Herb per.
Malva moschata – musk mallow
Leaves, flowers, seeds. Herbaceous perennial.
Malva sylvestris – common mallow
Leaves, flowers, seeds. Herb per.
Matteuccia struthiopteris – ostrich fern
Shoots (‘fiddleheads’). Herb per. Grows well but easily lost to drying out.
Mentha aquatica – water mint
Leaves. Herbaceous perennial.
Mentha spicata – garden mint
Leaves. Herbaceous perennial.
Mentha x piperata vulgaris – peppermint
Leaves. Herbaceous perennial.
Mentha x piperata vulgaris – peppermint
Leaves. Herbaceous perennial.
Myrrhis odorata – sweet cicely
leaves, seeds, rootsherb per
Oreganum vulgare ‘Tomintoul’ – Tomintoul oregano
leaves, herb per
Oxalis acetosella – wood sorrel
leaves, herb per
Papaver somniferum – opium poppy
seeds, ann
Pastinaca sativa – parsnip
roots, biennial
Petroselinum crispum – parsley
leaves, biennial
Petroselinum crispum tuberosum – Hamburg parsley
roots, biennial
Pleurotus ostreatus – oyster mushrooms
fruiting bodies, fungus
Polygonatum biflorum – Solomon’s seal.
Herb per. Young shoots. Only use portion of stem up to first leaves.
Prunus cerasifera – cherry plum
fruit, tree
Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’ – Victoria plum
fruit, tree
Prunus salicina – sumomo / Japanese plum
fruit, tree
Raphanus sativus – radish
leaves, flowers, seeds pods, ann/bi
Rheum x hybridum – rhubarb
stems, herb per
Ribes aureum – golden currant, buffalo currant
fruit, shrub
Ribes nigrum – blackcurrant
fruit, shrub
Ribes rubrum – redcurrant, whitecurrant
fruit, shrub
Ribes uva-crispum – gooseberry
fruit, shrub
Rosmarinus officinalis – rosemary
leaves as herb, shrub
Rubus ideaus – raspberry
fruit, shrub
Rubus phoenicolasius – Japanese wineberry
fruit, perennial with biennial canes.
Rumex acetosa – sorrel
leaves, herb per
Rumex patientia – herb patience
leaves, flower shoots, herb per
Rumex scutatus – buckler-leaved sorrel
leaves, herb per
Sanguisorba minor – salad burnet, pimpinella
leaves used as herb, small perennial
Saponaria officinalis – soapwort
NOT EDIBLE – leaves and stems used for soap, herb per
Satureja montana – winter savoury
leaves as herb, perennial
Scorzonera hispanica – scorzonera
Leaves. Herb per.
Smyrnium olusatrum – alexanders
Strong flavoured roots and shoots. Seed as spice. Shade tolerant. Herb per.
Sedum rupestre syn. reflexum – crooked yellow stonecrop
leaves, creeping perennial
Sedum telephium – orpine
leaves, herb per
Taraxacum officinale – dandelion
leaves, herb per
Tilia cordata – small-leaved lime
leaves, tree
Tragopogon porrifolius – salsify
leaves, immature flowers, ann/bi
Vaccinium crosses – blueberry
fruit, shrub
Vaccinium myrtilus – blaeberry
fruit, small shrub
Vaccinium ovatum – box blueberry
fruit, shrub
Vaccinium vitis-idaea – cowberry, lingonberry
fruit, small shrub
Valerianella locusta – lamb’s lettuce
young plants, ann/bi
Vicia faba – broad bean
leaves, seeds; ann/bi
Viola riviniana – wood violet
leaves, flowers; per
Viola riviniana ‘Purpurea’ – purple wood violet
leaves, flowers; per
Wasabia japonica – wasabi
root, leaves; herb per
I am creating a forest garden in my allotment. This is a great list. I shall try some, if not all. Thanks for sharing.
I see you have huckleberries on the list! Are they quite easy to grow and do you get a lot of fruit?
Hi Ali. Which species do you mean when you say huckleberries? It’s one of those names that people use for all sorts of different plants.
Vaccinium Ovatum? Is that the US west coast delicious huckleberry? 🙂
Ah, that one. It’s pretty easy to grow: I grew mine from seed that I got from Future Foods (no longer in existence) but it also propagates pretty easily from suckers. It grows slowly but without any problems; it usually fruits heavily and it is a very attractive plant too. The drawbacks are that it isn’t the easiest to harvest, nor is it the tastiest of the Vacciniums. The difficulty in harvesting comes from the fact that the fruit are very small and don’t ripen all at the same time. The best way seems to be to let them all ripen, then just run your hand down the branch, causing a rain of little black fruits. You would have to net them to guarantee that the birds didn’t harvest them first though. The taste is pleasant but not in the league of blueberries or blaeberries/bilberries.
Good to know, thanks for the info!
I see you mention soapwort. My wife uses greenwill soapberry in the washing machine to wash clothes with as she is sensitive to detergents and it is natural. Has worked great. Have considered trying to grow the mukorossi tree that the fruit comes from but read where it takes 10 years to bear fruit. Thanks for the list! Will look over to see what I could grow in our alkaline soil.
Yes, I’ve used those too – they’re pretty effective. They are usually called ‘soap nuts’ here.
I’ve not tried them, but, for cooler climes, horse chestnuts are saponin-rich. I’ve heard ivy foliage can be used, but a boil I did produced no froth.