If you have a choice of planting a tree, shrub, vine, herbaceous plant, or groundcover that only has one function or another species that fills that desired function and also provides three other benefits, why wouldn’t you plant the more functional species? In permaculture, elements of our designs should serve at least 3 functions. Many species can do much better than that. Below is a list of some of my favorite multi-functional plants that I am currently using on my permaculture site.
Medium & Large Trees
Alder: Nitrogen fixer, Insectary, leaf mulch, wildlife benefit, timber
Apple: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit
Apple with chives, garlic, and goumi planted at base (Also wheat that came in with the wheat straw)
Black Locust: Nitrogen fixer, Insectary, windbreak, hedgerow, wood, great for honey bees, durable long lasting wood, leaf mulch (Allelopathic)
Black & English Walnut: Edible nuts, timber, windbreak, wildlife benefit (Allelopathic)
Cherry: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit
Cherry Tree
Crab Apple: Wildlife benefit, insectary, edible, great apple pollinator, leaf mulch
Hackberry: Wildlife benefit, windbreak, hedgerow, good companion for walnut, food for wildlife, wood
Nectarine & Peach: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit
Northern Red Oak: Wildlife benefit, windbreak, hedgerow, wood, acorns provide food for animals, leaf mulch
Pear: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit
Pear Tree
Plum: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit
Sassafras: Wildlife habitat, wood, fuel, oil used for tea, medicine and perfume, leaf mulch
Shagbark Hickory: Wood, soil stabilizer, fuel to give a smoked flavor to meat, nuts can be used for oil and flour, wildlife benefit, leaf mulch
Shellbark Hickory: Wood, fuel, wildlife benefit, leaf mulch
Sugar Maple: Insect habitat, wildlife benefit, wood, maple syrup, leaf mulch
Virginia Pine: Wildlife benefit, pine mulch for acid loving plants, pioneer species for worn out farmland,
White Oak: Wildlife benefit, windbreak, hedgerow, wood, edible, acorns can be made into flour, leaf mulch
Small Trees
Bamboo: Is actually a grass, but I don’t have a grass category. It’s extremely fast growing, can be invasive and impossible to get rid of when established, but it is a great edible, timber species, windbreak, & wildlife habitat (Excellent for holding dams)
Choke Cherry: Fast growing pioneer species, provides food to birds and mammals, leaf mulch
Hazelnut: Edible nuts, windbreak, animal habitat & forage
Nanking Cherry: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit (Like a miniature plum)
Paw Paw: Edible fruit, dye, fiber, leaf mulch
Persimmon American: Edible fruit, hedgerow, leaf mulch
Red Mulberry: Wildlife benefit, great tasting berries, durable wood, attractive ornamental, leaf mulch
Serviceberry: Wildlife benefit, insectary, edible, early flowers good for beneficial insects, leaf mulch
Shrubs
Black Currants: Wildlife benefit, edible (sweeter than red currants), hedgerow,
Blueberry: Wildlife benefit, edible, hedgerow,
Elderberry: Wildlife benefit, edible, windbreak, hedgerow, leaves are toxic,
False Indigo: Nitrogen fixer, insectary
Gooseberries: Wildlife benefit, edible, hedgerow,
Goumi: Nitrogen fixer, wildlife benefit, edible, windbreak, hedgerow, tolerates air pollution, leaf mulch
Hyssop: Medicinal, tea, insectary, windbreak
Lavender: Medicinal, insectary, windbreak
Raspberry & Blackberry: Edible, insectary, hedgerow, wildlife benefit
Red Currants: Wildlife benefit, edible, hedgerow,
Siberian Pea Shrub: Nitrogen fixer, soil stabilizer, windbreak, hedgerow,
Herbaceous Plants
Alfalfa: Nitrogen fixer, animal forage, insectary, edible
Alfalfa
Chicory: Edible, insectary, nutrient accumulator
Chives: Edible, insectary, nutrient accumulator, pest repellant
Clover: Insectary, nitrogen fixer, pollinator attractor, animal edible
Comfrey: Edible, mulch plant, nutrient accumulator, insectary, animal forage
Comfrey
Creeping Thyme: Edible, pest repellant, insectary
Thyme & Daylilys
Dandelion: Insectary, nutrient accumulator, edible
Daikon Radish: Edible, nutrient accumulator
Daikon Radish
Daylily: Edible, fiber product, hummingbird attractor
Garlic: Nutrient accumulator, edible, pest repellant
Jerusalem Artichoke: Edible roots, insectary, pig forage, mulch plant
Lupine: Nitrogen fixer, edible, insectary
Maximilian Sunflower: Edible, animal forage, insectary
Mint: Edible, pollinator attractor, pest repellant
Strawberry: Edible, insectary, nutrient accumulator
Yarrow: Nutrient accumulator, insectary, edible
Vines
Grapes: Wildlife benefit, edible
Hardy Kiwi: Wildlife benefit, edible
Grape vine with a living mulch of clover
Pole Beans & Peas: Insectary, Nitrogen fixers, Edible
Reference:
"Gaia’s Garden" Toby Hemenway
