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Notes on Specic Plants
BLUEBERRY (VACCINIUM CORYMBOSUM)
The blueberry fruit is abundant in antioxidants and
very healing for the eyesight. A perennial shrub
with a long life that stays in production for years.
COMFREY (SYMPHYTUM OFFICINALE)
The dynamic accumulator par excellence! Leaves
can be cut three to four times during the growing
season and used as nutrient mulch around all
plants in a guild (chop-and-drop). The deep tap-
root opens up clay soil and allows for maximum air
and water circulation. As a medicinal, comfrey is
A polyculture or integrated forest garden is not all
about perennial species. We, of course, have been
raised on diets typically centered on annual vege-
tables, meats, grains, and beans (and McDonalds).
Therefore, it would not do justice to our varied
palates to eliminate an annual culture from our
gardening activities. Although forest environments
rely strongly on the mycelial web belowground,
which acts as a kind of communication network that
translocates minerals, hormones, vitamins, and the
like among woody species, and annual cropping
environments are enriched by bacterial action, the
two come together in dynamic ways. Each year we
can plant annual species in and among perennials
and vary annual selection accordingly: for vege-
table variety, rotation of crops, and the ecological
benets of diferent species.
The AnnualPerennial Guild integrates typical
annual crops with perennials. The core of this
Region: All of North America
USDA Planting Zones: 49
Biome: Woodlands, open elds, or meadow
Scale and setting: At any scale
Rainfall averages: 1550 inches per year
Time to maturity (succession): 110 years
Benecial outcomes of the guild: Abundance of annual and perennial crops for food,
medicine, and utility
Animal relationships: Insectary, nectary, shelter for invertebrates and small mammals
AnnualPerennial Guild
combination of species afords us a vast nutritional
and utility palette for just about everything we
need for our basic necessities.
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TABLE 7.4 ANNUALPERENNIAL GUILD PLANT LIST
ID Common Name Scientic Name Plant Type Height Spread Ecological Function Human Use/Crop
1 Blueberry Vaccinium
corymbosum
Perennial
Shrub
612' 8' Animal Food, Insectary,
Nectary
Food, Medicine
2 Comfrey Symphytum
ofcinale
Perennial 4' 4' Domestic Animal Forage,
Chemical Barrier, Insecticide,
Insectary, Mulch Maker,
Dynamic Accumulator, Water
Biomass, Compost,
Food, Medicine
3 Dogwood Cornus spp. Tree 30' 30' Dynamic Accumulator (Ca),
Biomass
Medicine,
Understory Species
Takes Shade Well
4 Chives Allium tuberosum Perennial 1' 1' Soil Erosion Food, Spice, Medicine
5 Parsley Petroselinum
crispum
Annual 1' 2' Soil Erosion Food, Medicine, Spice,
Insect Repellent
6 Peppermint Mentha spp. Perennial 2' 5' Biomass, Soil Stabilization Food, Medicine, Tea,
Essential Oil
7 Oregano Origanum spp. Perennial 1' 2' Nectary, Insectary, Ground
Cover (Erosion Control)
Tea, Spice, Medicine
8 Thyme Thymus vulgaris Perennial 1' 5' Erosion Control, Biomass Medicine, Spice
9 Bamboo Phyllostachys spp. Perennial 40' Indenite Erosion Control, Animal
Shelter, Shade
Food, Medicine, Fiber,
Building Material
10 Feverfew Tanacetum
parthenium
Perennial 2' 2' Dynamic Accumulator,
Biomass
Medicine
(Migraine Headaches)
11 Lemon Balm Melissa ofcinalis Perennial 2' 4' Prolic Biomass Producer Medicine, Tea
12 Summer Savory Satureja hortensis Annual 2' 2' Organic Matter Spice, Tea, Medicine
13 Basil Ocimum basilicum Annual 4' 2' Biomass Spice, Tea, Medicine
14 Strawberry Fragaria virginiana Perennial 1' 3' Biomass, Organic Matter Food, Medicine
15 Calendula Calendula
ofcinalis
Annual 2' 2' Biomass Medicine
16 Cayenne Pepper Capsicum annuum Annual 4' 3' Organic Matter Food, Medicine
17 Cilantro Coriandrum
sativum
Annual 4' 2' Organic Matter Spice, Medicine
18 Columbine Aquilegia spp. Perennial 4' 3' Organic Matter Food, Flower
19 Sedum Sedum spp. Perennial 1' 3' Organic Matter, Prolic
Biomass
Cover Crop,
Undersown Crop
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20 Dandelion Taraxacum
ofcinale
Perennial 1' 1' Dynamic Accumulator
(K, P, Ca, Cu, Fe), Compost
Accelerator, Insectary
Food, Medicine, Wine,
Latex
21 White Clover Trifolium repens Semi-
Perennial
1' 3' Nitrogen Fixer Cover Crop,
Medicine, Food
22 Annual Crops Various Species Annual Varied Varied Biomass, Nitrogen Fixers, Etc. Based on Yearly Choices
AnnualPerennial Guild.
0
Scale Bar (ft)
5 10 20
Herb Spiral
3
14
21
21
20
19
9
18
22
2
1
1
3
3
ID Common Name Scientic Name Plant Type Height Spread Ecological Function Human Use/Crop
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embankments and slopes. Bamboo has been used
as sustenance and utility for many cultures around
the world for centuries.
FEVERFEW (TANACETUM PARTHENIUM)
Lots of biomass. One of the best herbal remedies
for migraine headache.
LEMON BALM (MELISSA OFFICINALIS)
Another prolic grower that produces large quanti-
ties of biomass for soil and compost enhancement.
The prime tea for small childrens upset stomachs.
SUMMER SAVORY (SATUREJA HORTENSIS)
A culinary spice and beautifully scented plant
for potpourris.
BASIL (OCIMUM BASILICUM)
Italian food anyone?
STRAWBERRIES (FRAGARIA VIRGINIANA)
A perennial ground cover par excellence, yielding
copious fruits. The stolons that grow out the sides
of the plants are replanted easily.
CALENDULA (CALENDULA OFFICINALIS)
The principal herb for topical skin creams and salves.
CAYENNE PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM)
Hot and spicy and a healing herb. Dry peppers and
keep them in a cool, dark place for future use in
curries and for warming a cold body.
CILANTRO (CORIANDRUM SATIVUM)
The leaves and seeds of cilantro are used as
culinary herbs.
COLUMBINE (AQUILEGIA SPP.)
An unusually shaped ower brightens the garden
landscape. The young greens of columbine are edible.
used for external and internal treatments. Exter-
nally its known as knitbone and used for broken
bones, sprains, bruises, and cuts. Its especially
efective internally for pulmonary congestion and
dry coughs.
DOGWOOD (CORNUS SPP.)
The prime dynamic accumulator of calcium. Grow
it over a compost bin so that calcium-rich leaves will
fall directly on the pile. Dogwood bark has been
used in place of quinine for malarial symptoms.
CHIVES (ALLIUM TUBEROSUM)
Added to many dishes for a unique garlic-onion
taste. If lef in the ground, chives are perennial, as
are other members of the Allium genus.
PARSLEY (PETROSELINUM CRISPUM)
Insect repellent if rubbed on uncovered skin and an
excellent diuretic for excessive water in the body.
PEPPERMINT (MENTHA SPP.)
Peppermint is a hotter mint than spearmint.
Used in teas and as a digestive aid, its a prolic
grower and excellent ground cover.
OREGANO (ORIGANUM SPP.)
Italian food anyone?
THYME (THYMUS VULGARIS)
An excellent ground cover, thyme spreads rapidly,
and because of its low height surrounds other
plants in the guild, thus adding to the biomass in
the root cluster and shading the soil from the sun in
order to retain maximum water for all plants.
BAMBOO (PHYLLOSTACHYS SPP.)
Except in the far north, bamboo is a plant of
choice in all polyculture systems. Its soil erosion
prevention is well known, especially on steep
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WHITE CLOVER (TRIFOLIUM REPENS)
The nitrogen xer par excellence, it regenerates
and reinvigorates depleted soils faster than any
other plant in the kingdom. Plant directly into
white clover for maximum nitrogen absorption.
ANNUAL CROPS SELECTED EVERY YEAR
BASED ON NEED AND PREFERENCE
Arugula, assorted Japanese greens, assorted lettuces,
sweet potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, bush beans,
cabbage, mesclun, okra, potato, kale, chard, onion,
tomato, peas, beans, spinach, beets, zucchini, sum-
mer squash, turnips, mustard greens.
SEDUM (SEDUM SPP.)
Utilized primarily as a dense ground cover and on
living roofs for soil stabilization.
DANDELION (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE)
Why the dandelion has become the bane of the
suburban lawn, Lord knows. For food, medicine,
and land repair there are few other plants as nutri-
tious, healing, efcient, prolic, and persistent
as this Asian denizen. It has been in the United
States for over eight hundred years. Does this
make it native?
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