Many of you have asked for a list of plants we grow. We have a very diverse garden. The garden is a testing site for plants. So far we have evaluated about 500 different edible species. Of those 500 about 200 turned out to be real winners in our climate. I’m not going to go through all 200 here. I’ve just posted with a selection of the best fruit trees. In terms of other perennial edibles, the key handful would be Sambung, Cranberry hibiscus, Okinawa spinach, Brazilian spinach, Pigeon peas, winged beans, Lebanese cress, Java dropwort, kangkong, native river mint, Mediterranean basil, cassava, sweet potato, yacon, arrowhead, ginger, katuk, all herb and plectranthus, lemongrass, lemon verbena, Malabar spinach, madagascar bean, winged yams, actually most yams, and I’m going to leave it there for now. If you start with these, in a balanced food forest then you are off to a very good start.

Food Plants for Brisbane

Over the years we have trialled hundreds of edible species in our experimental garden in an attempt to narrow down the hardiest, most nutritious but also aesthetically pleasing and useful plants available for our sub-tropical climate. Below is a list of just some of the plants we have trialled. Note: some plants listed required careful preparation to remove toxins or are similar to other non-edible plants. The following list is provided for entertainment purposes. Always check before eating anything unfamiliar.

Not all have been winners in our garden but remember that every garden is different and crops that struggled with our local conditions (dry and rocky with turkeys, possums, fruit fly, acid soil and gradient challenges) may thrive in other sub-tropical gardens that are lavished with attention, water and fertilizer and protected from pest. Our garden is organic and, aside from prunning, mulching and harvesting, left mostly to its own devices. In our garden, the primary considerations are low maintenance, nutritious, productive and tasty.

Leaf crops

Aibika (Abelmoschus moschatus)

Aloe vera: medicinal, or dessert;
Alternanthera sessilis ‘Purpurea’;
Amaranthus, various species and cultivars
Basil: various species and cultivars. I like Thai basil;
Brahmi herb, Bacopa monnieri;
Cassava, Manihot esculenta. My Seed Saver cultivar is prized for its leaves by Javanese gardeners;
Celery stem taro, Colocasia esculenta;
Celtuce, Lactuca sativa var. augustana;
Cosmos caudatus, edible leaves and petals;
Cosmos sulphureus, edible leaves, shoots and petals;
Cranberry hibiscus, Hibiscus acetosella, edible leaves and flowers for tea;
Edible fern, Diplazium esculentum, edible croziers;
Elephant foot yam, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, edible leaves;
Fish mint, Houttuynia cordata;
Four seasons herb, Plectranthus amboinicus;
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum;
Gnetum (Gnetum gnemon)

Hibiscus spinach, Abelmoschus esculentus;
Jute, Corchorus olitorius;
Jute, white, Corchorus capsularis;
Kaffir lime, Citrus hystrix;
Kangkong (Ipomoea aquatica)

Kenaf, Hibiscus cannabinus;
Korean mint, Agastache rugosa;
Krachai, Boesenbergia rotunda;
La lot, Piper sarmentosum;
Lagos spinach, Celosia spicata;
Lasia, Lasia spinosa;
Lebanese cress, Aethionema cordifolium;
Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus;
Lemongrass, East Indian, Cymbopogon flexuosus;
Lettuce, Indian, Lactuca indica;
Malabar spinach (Basella alba)

Mushroom Plant (Rungia klossii)

Mexican tree spinach, Cnidoscolus aconitifolius;
Ming aralia, Polyscias fruticosa;
Moringa, Moringa oleifera;
Moroccan mint, Mentha spicata;
Native mint, Mentha satureioides;
Nightshade (Solanum nigrum and S. americanum)

Okinawa spinach, Gynura crepioides;
Pandan, Pandanus amarylliifolius;
Parcel, Apium graveolens;
Pawpaw, Carica papaya (peppery tasting);
Pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima;
Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa;
Shoreline Purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum)

Society garlic, Tulbaghia violacea,
Surinam spinach, Talinum fruticosum;
Surinam spinach (Talinum triangulare)?

Sweetleaf, Sauropus androgynus;
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas;
Tarragon, Mexican, Tagetes lucida;
Thai coriander, Eryngium foetidum;
Vietnamese mint, Persicaria odorata;
Vietnamese paddy herb, Limnophylla aromatica;
Winter melon, Benincasa hispida;

Fruit

Banana varieties (Musa sp. Eumusa group)

Banana, plantain, Musa x sapientum;
Bitter melon; fruit and leaves; Momordica charantia;
Capsicum, Capsicum annuum;  ‘Bull’s Horn’ is a small-fruited perennial cultivar;
Chilli, Capsicum annuum, C. chinense and C. baccatum; many cultivars;
Choko, Sechium edule;
Cucumber, Cucumis sativus; ‘Gympie Gold’ is a Queensland cultivar;
Eggplant, Solanum melongena, many cultivars;
Gac, Momordica cochinchinesis;
Luffa, angled, Luffa acutangula;
Luffa, round, Luffa cylindrica;
Mouse melon, Melothria scabra;
Pawpaw, Carica papaya (either green or ripe);
Pineapple, Ananas comosus, A. bracteatus;
Pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima;
Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa (technically an edible calyx);
Serpent gourd, Trichosanthes cucumerina;
Summer cucumber, Cyclanthera pedata;
Winter melon, Benincasa hispida;

Beach Almond (Terminalia catappa)

Bell Fruit (Syzygium aqueum)

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

Bush Passionfruit (Passiflora foetida)

Cape Plum (Flacourtia sp. Shipton’s Flat)

Cedar Bay Cherry (Eugenia reinwardtiana)

Coconut (Cocos nucifera)

Cordia (Cordia subcordata)

Fe’I Banana varieties (Musa sp. Australimusa group)

Finger Cherry (Rhodomyrtus macrocarpa)

Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)

Island Daphne (Phaleria octanda)

Lady’s Apple (Syzygium suborbiculatum)

Limeberry (Micromelum minutum)

Little Gooseberry Tree (Buchanania arborescens)

Mango (Mangifera indica)

Noni (Morinda citrifolia)

Pandanus – oil and nut species

Pangi (Pangium edule)

Peanut Tree (Sterculia quadrifida)

Star Apple (Chrysophyllum roxburghii)

Tamarind (Tamarindus indicus)

Terminalia Tree (Terminalia subacroptera)

Torres Strait Scrambler (Uvaria rufa)

Uzu, Lockerbie Satin Ash (Syzygium branderhorstii)

White Satinash (Syzygium puberulum)

Root crops

Aerial Yam (Dioscorea bulbifera)

Crinum (Crinum uniflorum)

Cassava, Manihot esculenta;
Chinese or Hausa potato, Plectranthus rotundifolius;
Cocoyam, Xanthosoma saggitifolium;
Elephant foot yam (Amorphophalus paeonifolius)

Five-leaf Yam (Dioscorea pentaphylla)

Giant Yam (Cyrtosperma merkusii)

Greater Yam (Dioscorea alata)

Galangal, Alpinia galanga;
Giant taro, Cyrtosperma merkusii;
Ginger, culinary, Zingiber officinale;
Krachai, Boesenbergia rotunda;
Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)

Pacific Yam (Dioscorea nummularia)

Pencil Yam (Dioscorea transversa)

Polynesian Arrowroot (Tacca leontopetaloides)

Queensland arrowroot, Canna edulis;
Sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas;
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) (centre of diversity)

Three-leaved Yam (Dioscorea hispida)

Turmeric, common, Curcuma longa. Plus various other species and cultivars;

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale and N. schlecteri)

White Yam (Dioscorea cayensis var. rotundata)

Flowers

Bombax Tree (Bombax ceiba var. leiocarpum)

Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea)

Duruka (Saccharum edule)

Pitpit (Setaria palmifera)

Herbs and spices

Basil (Oncimum basilicum)

Dancing Girl Ginger (Globba marantina)

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)

Garlic Wattle (Acacia pennata subsp. insuavia)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Hangi leaves (Polyscias macgillivraei)

Leaf (Polyscias scuttellaria)

Native Tumeric (Curcuma australasica)

Perilla (Perilla frutescens)

Pungent Bush (Euodia hortensis)

Sacred Basil (Oncimum tenuifolium)

Shampoo Ginger (Zingiber zerumbet)

Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum)

Vallunger, Parsley bush (Polyscias cumingiana, P. fruticosa)

Water Celery (Oenanthe javanica)

Pods

Bean, guar, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba;
Bean, lablab, Dolichos lablab;
Bean Madagascar, Phaseolus lunatus;
Bean, mung, Vigna radiata
Bean, snake, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis;
Bean, soy, Glycine max;
Bean, winged, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus;
Cow pea, Vigna unguiculata;

Lablab bean (Lablab purpureus)

Snake bean (Vigna unguiculata ssp.unguiculata)

Velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis)

Winged Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonalobus) (centre of diversity)

Edible seed
Corn, Zea mays;
Millet (better in a dry summer), Setaria palmifolia;
Peanut, Arachis hypogea;
Serpent gourd, Trichosanthese cucumerina;
Pigeon pea, Cajanus cajan;
Sorghum (better in a dry summer),  Sorghum bicolor;
Sword bean, Canavalia gladiata;

Edible flowers
Blue pea: flowers only, Clitorea ternatea;
Ginger, beehive, Zingiber spectabile;
Ginger, puyang, Zingiber myoga;
Ginger, shell, Alpinia zerumbet;
Pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima;
Rosella, Hibiscus sabdariffa;
Torch ginger, Elettaria speciosa;
Turmeric, Curcuma longa, plus various other species and cultivars;
Winter melon, Benincasa hispida;