European fruit trees  

There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” 

Growing a food forest” has many health benefits, as fruit can be picked and eaten fresh rather than waiting in storage and transportation for long periods, another benefit is that no plastic packaging is required. A multi-layered food forest or forest garden is low-maintenance, sustainable, and based on natural forest ecosystems. 

Indigenous plants are well suited to local environmental conditions and require little to no maintenance to keep them healthy.  However, native trees’ natural habitats are being lost and biodiversity is declining as a result.  Many native edible plants are not adopted commercially by big-scale industries because they don’t have a long shelf life or don’t transport well.

When planting a food forest consider using trees and other plants that are best suited for your region. Native trees are already adapted to the local climate and will bring biodiversity to your garden.  A major benefit of incorporating native plants is that they will attract and support beneficial insects and pollinators.  Planting a food forest will provide food, habitat, and even temperature control.  

Find out which edible plants are native to your region.