In this article, we will talk about some of the major permaculture plants that you can grow in your permaculture system, especially in cool and mild temperate areas like those in North America and Europe. To start, let us look into the characteristics of permaculture plants.
Characteristics of Permaculture Plants
Naturally, the plants you pick will be determined by where you live and the growth zone in which you live. Remember that permaculture promotes the use of native flora. As a result, the ideal permaculture plants to utilize in America or the United Kingdom will differ from those suitable for Thailand or Brazil. However, there are several common traits that make a plant a good candidate for usage in a permaculture garden, regardless of climate. Take note to choose your permaculture plants that have the following traits.
Low Maintenance
Permaculture gardening is distinguished by a garden that (largely) cares for itself. So choose plant species that can flourish in less-than-ideal settings, such as poor soil or harsh weather.
Have extensive roots
Deep-rooted plants are a permaculture gardener’s greatest friend, especially if you’re planting in poor soils. They will pull nutrients from deeper soil to the surface, where they will be easier to reach.
Leguminous
Legumes are frequently utilized in permaculture gardens because they extract nitrogen from the air for use by other plants. These include beans, nuts, peas and lentils. Beans such as adzuki beans, black beans, soybeans, anasazi beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans and lima beans will be good for your garden. Peanuts are the most frequent type of nuts, although soy nuts and carob nuts are also examples. Moreover, examples of peas include green peas, snow peas, snap peas, split peas, and black-eyed peas.
Able to produce a lot of foliage
Plants with a lot of leaves are excellent for making mulch in a permaculture garden. Some plants function as living mulch, retaining soil moisture and blocking weed sunlight. Others are trimmed and then spread as mulch on the ground.
You might be thinking, “How can I create my own permaculture garden?” Fortunately, making one does not limit you to a tiny variety of plants. There are several alternatives from which to pick. These plants were as follows:
Walking Onions
If you enjoy onions, consider growing walking onions in your garden for a low-maintenance option. They are sometimes referred to as tree onions or top setting onions. Essentially, bulbs develop on the crowns of the plants, weighing them down and causing them to bend down and replant themselves.
They will cheerfully grow and spread themselves in your garden with little effort. If you are concerned about tediously planting seed onions every year, this variety will do the job for you!
Comfrey
Comfrey, like many of the greatest permaculture plants, is considered a weed by many farmers and gardeners. But what precisely is a weed? It’s merely a plant growing in an unwelcome place. It is not a weed if you want it in your garden! Comfrey has deep taproots that can reach depths of up to 2 meters. These roots extract minerals from the subsurface and transport them to the surface for use by other plants.
While comfrey is not edible, it has been used to heal wounds and broken bones, to halt bleeding, and for a variety of other folk medicines. The comfrey plant also generates a lot of biomass. Its nutrient-rich leaves can be utilized to make mulch, animal feed, or compost.
Jerusalem Artichoke
Because they are so resilient, Jerusalem artichokes are one of our favorite permaculture crops. This is because they require little care and water other than what they receive naturally from rain. Surprisingly, they are not artichokes, and they are not from Jerusalem, despite their name! They are a kind of plant native to North America that belongs to the sunflower family. They grow to be as tall as a sunflower and have a lovely tiny yellow bloom on top. Sunchokes also yield excellent edible tubers that look like ginger and keep nicely during the winter.
Jerusalem artichokes’ long stems are robust enough to be used as a trellis for beans and other climbing vegetables. They even serve as a windbreak. It’s better to grow these annuals in a location where you don’t mind their taking over. Because they are so resilient, they can aggressively expand to produce huge areas of the plant.
Hazelnut
Hazelnuts can be grown as bushes or tiny trees. They are excellent windbreaks on their own and constitute an excellent permaculture guild (or grouping of plants and trees) when combined with bigger trees such as apples. These trees can withstand shade while also acting as a neutral buffer between plants that do not get along.
They yield a lot of high-calorie nuts that may be consumed raw, roasted, or ground into oil or flour. Hazelnuts may survive for up to 50 years and are an excellent addition to your food forest.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a delicious delicacy that returns year after year if you provide them with the proper growth circumstances. And, unlike some other annual berries (such as raspberry), you won’t have to battle brambles and thorns to get at them.
Strawberries, in addition to being a popular fruit, spread out on the ground as a live mulch and assist to retain water on those hot, sunny days.
Arrowhead
The majority of the permaculture plants on this list are land-based, but we couldn’t leave out one of our favorite water vegetables in case you have a pond on your property. Arrowhead tubers are delicious and worth getting your hands dirty for! They cook like potatoes and taste earthy and nutty. So why not give your frogs, turtles, and other bug-eating creatures surrounding the pond a shady spot to rest beneath these plants.
Mint
Perhaps, mint is the only plant on this list that everyone is familiar with. Its applications are many; you may use it to make a sauce for lamb or boil it into a delicious herbal tea. Mint is high in minerals, effective at concealing foul breath, and can even help with indigestion. You’ve probably heard about how mint spreads like a weed. This makes it an excellent living mulch for use beneath taller plants. Bees enjoy mint blossoms as well, although the odor repels many undesirable insects. So it’s a win-win situation!
Asparagus
The ordinary asparagus plant is an excellent permaculture crop, but it takes time to mature. It will take two or three years after you plant your first crowns or seeds to begin harvesting your first stalks. However, your asparagus will only grow bigger and better the next year!
Asparagus requires little care once planted. Year after year, it will continue to produce food. And, because it is hardy and adaptable to a broad range of temperatures, it is an excellent addition to most gardens. Asparagus is very useful as a companion plant for tomatoes. Asparagus repels plant parasites in the soil known as nematodes, which can damage tomatoes. Meanwhile, tomatoes deter asparagus beetles, which eat on the plant’s roots.
You haven’t truly tasted asparagus until you’ve gathered it from your own garden. In comparison, store-bought asparagus is generally extremely woody and dried-out. If it’s one of your favorite veggies, it’s worth growing a little patch for yourself!
Edible Flowers
There are so many different kinds of edible flowers that it’s difficult to choose just one. We recommend selecting your favorite flowers to look at, since they also make an excellent complement to salads and other foods! Consider growing the following edible flowers: Hibiscus, Chrysanthemums, Nasturtiums, Violets, and Magnolia.
Aside from being visually appealing, there are practical advantages to using edible flowers into your permaculture garden! For one thing, they attract pollinators like bees and butterflies. Improved pollination increases crop production on other fruits and vegetables grown in the same region. Two, the smell of some edible flowers deters pests such as rats and deer.
Mulberries
Here’s another little tree that provides a lot of healthy food! Mulberries have never been popular since they don’t keep fresh for long after being picked and are easily destroyed in transport. But it doesn’t mean they aren’t wonderful! They are delicious eaten fresh off the tree or used to create jams and other preserves.
Mulberry trees are fast growing and extremely sturdy, giving them an ideal habitat for birds and other animals. Their massive leaves provide plenty of shade and may also be utilized as mulch.
Here’s the final tip!
When choosing permaculture plants, aim to pick plants that function well together and need little effort, such as weeding, watering, and fertilizing. Don’t forget to assess your personal growth circumstances and select the plants that will work best in your own garden. Choose plants that will help the soil, attract beneficial insects and wildlife, or give synergistic advantages to other crops you are producing. Most importantly, try to incorporate some permaculture plants that produce food that you love eating!
If you are looking to start your garden, check out the links in the description for our recommended books and audiobooks.
Don’t forget to download the free ebook too.
Backyard Gardening Book (paperback)
Backyard Gardening Book (audiobook)
Urban Gardening Book (paperback)
Urban Gardening Book (audiobook)