Piedmont Food Forest Package

Package Description

Calling all foragers, permaculturalists and lovers of wild edibles, this plant package is for you! The Piedmont Food Forest package is a low maintenance, layered garden comprising 6 different native shrubs and small trees that produce edible fruits and nuts. While the fruits and nuts of these species are fit for human consumption, they are also beloved by native wildlife and will attract them to your yard. The native shrubs such as American hazelnut and elderberry double as both food resources and nesting habitat for birds with their dense cross branching habit.

Species Attributes and Seasonality

The blooming season begins with American hazelnut, blueberries, pawpaw and American plum. Tiny red flowers emerge from hazelnut buds in March, followed by the impressive display of blueberry flowers, wine-colored pawpaw blooms and white plum blossoms in April. By the end of May, hazelnuts, blueberries and plums are ready for harvest. American persimmon and elderberry are in full bloom by the first week of June, with elderberries forming quickly after. The harvest season ends with persimmon and pawpaw ripe for picking by mid-August. Fall color is a fantastic mix of yellow (elderberry, hazelnut and pawpaw), orange (persimmon) and red (blueberries and plums).

Site Selection

The species in this package will thrive in any Piedmont location with well drained soils in partial shade to full sun. However, planting in full sun will lead to higher yields of fruit and nuts. This plant package works best as an informal woodland hedge in a backyard or side yard, yet could function well as a front yard screen along a road if space permits. The Piedmont Food Forest package is an extremely low maintenance, self-sustaining woodland garden that will provide you with a reliable crop of native fruits and nuts, beautify your landscape, and maximize the ecological value of your property.