Our 80 Favorite Plants
It is not necessary or even helpful to make permaculture plant designs complicated.
When it comes to designing different planting systems we inevitably come up with many of the same plants, project after project. This is no surprise as there are certain species that most people are familiar with and enjoy. We can create endless permaculture designs of orchard gardens, food forests or plant guilds that are comprehensive and highly functional from this basic list of 80 plants.
“A permaculture system can be as sophisticated or simple as you like.”
Bill Mollison – Cofounder of the Permaculture Movement
From our design team to you…
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Here is a blow-up of the illustration. Download this as well if you wish to print in full size.
I don’t see Black Willow (salix negra) on the list. It is unfortunately dying off here in the Chgo. area. I have tried replanting cuttings from some of the old and dying trees. I feel it should be respected and saved. You can root most any plant with ‘willow water’. Cut off canes, chop up and soak in water. Use the water as a rooting agent for other plants. It’s a good water sucker for wet areas.
Hi, thanks for sharing these guild info.
I’d have a question regarding the drawing above. In the drawing the canopy tree seems to be Robinia Pseudoacacia. How do you deal with its suckering behaviour and how the fruit trees are affected by it.
Bets regards
Antonio
I’ve seen black locust (Robinia Pseudocacia) controlled with mowing, your plantings would have to be designed with that in mind. You could also prune back the suckers as you find them. Being the nitrogen fixer it is somewhat of a sacrificial tree. If it’s in a place where you want to do little or no maintenance you might be better off choosing a different canopy tree.