15 Edible Crops You Can Grow in Your Woodland Garden

Is part of your land wooded? Maybe the whole lot, and do you still want to get edible crops out of it? Before you cut down all the trees, wait! There are many plants, fruits and vegetables that grow perfectly well in shaded places, under dense canopies, and snuggled at the feet of tall trunks! In fact, food forests are spreading all over the world – a way to combine gardening and agriculture with the preservation of natural environments. And you’ll be surprised!

On top of that, harvesting and gardening in the shade of trees can be quite a welcome break on hot summer days; and your neighbors will envy you as they sweat away under the beating Sun…

However, never mind your neighbors now; let’s meet some amazing edible crops you can easily grow in your wooded garden! Let’s start by clearing up a point…

How Intense Is the Shade in Your Wooded Patch of Land?

Most people think that in woods, you always have full shade, but this is not always the case. In fact, this is a condition you get really deep in forests or under very dense canopies. In many cases, you will have areas in part shade, and even dappled shade.

Let’s see what we mean by this:

• Full shade is where you get less than 3 hours of bright light a day on average.
• Part shade is where you get between 3 and 6 hours of bright light a day.
• Dappled shade is less technical, and it means that light comes through the canopy in spots.

Finally, by “bright light” we don’t mean direct and strong sunlight, but enough to make all colors and shapes clear. Imagine a sunny and cloudy day; in both cases you would call the light “bright” for gardeners.

So, off with our first shade loving variety to grow in your wooded area, and I will surprise you!

1 : Lemon (Citrus x limon)

You expected mushrooms and you get lemons as a first choice– surprised? Yes, lemons grow perfectly well under other trees, in part shade, not full, but as long as they get 3 or more hours of light every day, they will blossom and ripen perfectly well. What’s more, they are fairly small trees, with quite a few dwarf varieties. You will often find them under walnuts and other fruiting trees, in fact, in food forests all over the world!

Well, the only drawback is that you need a fairly warm climate, but keep in mind that in a forest, especially if evergreen, temperatures keep higher over winter than in open fields, and you can always wrap up your lemon tree when the bad season comes, and it will survive.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 9 to 12 (in forests down to USDA zone 8, covered in winter to zone 7)
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: depending on the variety, from 4 to 12 feet (1.2 to 3.6 meters)
• Soil and water requirements: fairly deep, average fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from moderately acidic to neutral. Water regularly.

2: Chestnut Mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa)

An excellent, high value crop to grow in wooded areas are chestnut mushrooms. There are many other varieties that you can have, some will grow spontaneously, but this all time favorite is easy to grow and get, and you can market it as well. You can buy a mycelium block, which is great indoors, and place it under the trees, in a very shaded spot. But for outdoor cultivation, I suggest you just buy the spores and inoculate your land.

You can do it in the soil, on rotting wood (logs etc.) or build a bed of dead leaves and soil mixed. The good news is that chestnut mushrooms will spread spontaneously in the right conditions (to your neighbors too), so, you only need to “sow” them once, and the rest is all harvesting!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 11.
• Light requirements: full shade, partial shade tolerant in cold regions.
• Spacing: N/A.
• Soil and water requirements: fertile and organically rich, well or poorly drained, humid to wet, organically rich loam, sandy loam or clay based soil, or a medium (leaves, logs) with pH from very acidic to strongly alkaline.

3: Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)

Have you seen the price of blueberries? If you have a wooded area, you would be mad not to grow them – you would save money or you could even make a little profit out of them. Super rich in vitamins and minerals, wonderfully fresh, these little berries are really easy to grow in shaded spots, and they will give you a very reliable harvest from June to August (depending on where you live) to refresh your summer days!

There are also many varieties and cultivars, with different plant and fruit sizes; from tiny to medium shrubs, and from little berries to 1.5 inches across (4.0 cm). Ok, this is the world record… Anyway, the larger ones are easier to market, but I find smaller ones have a stronger flavor and they are usually more nutritious…

• Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 8.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: depending on the size of the shrub, from 1 to 8 feet apart (30 cm to 2.4 meters).
• Soil and water requirements: fertile and organically rich, well drained and medium humid loam or sandy loam based soil with pH from very strongly to moderately acidic. 

4: Carrots (Daucus carota subsp. Sativus)

Yet another surprise for you! You thought you could only grow carrots in your veggie garden? No, most root vegetables grow well in shaded and wooded areas as well, these orange (purple, white etc..) roots will do perfectly well as long as they have space to grow underground.

That’s the only issue, in fact; they won’t grow big and long, unless the soil is loose. On the other hand, if you are looking for nutrition and not size, it would be a pity to waste your little forest – especially if you are short of land…

Don’t grow carrots at the feet of trees though; you don’t want to interfere with the roots, and the surface ones will stunt the growth of these vegetables. Find a spot where they can push down into the soil. On this note, many carrots are grown in sandy soils, because they can become massive, but they are poor in flavor and nutrition…

• Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 12 (annual).
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 2 to 3 inches (5.0 to 7.5 cm); thin them out as necessary.
• Soil and water requirements: average fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline.

5: Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus)

A woodland classic, blackberry is an invasive shrub you often find on the edges of forested areas, where it forms an impenetrable wall (to humans, little animals use it for protection). I’m dropping an idea here: why don’t you use it as a hedge to protect your land from intruders. Ok, they will steal some of the super sweet and vitamin rich berries on the other side, but bramble is such a productive plant that you won’t even notice the difference.

Your main job with blackberries will be to cut it back and keep it at bay, because it spreads really fast and it can be hard to eradicate, unless you choose a “tame” cultivar. Apart from this, it will give you a high market and very reliable crop.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 9.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 meters).
• Soil and water requirements: moderately fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from moderately acidic to neutral.

6: Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)

Here’s another unexpected crop for your wooded area: pawpaw! Native to the New Continent, this exotic fruiting tree thrives in forests, and for this reason, it will grow well in part shade (not full though), as long as the conditions are fine, and it will not have any problems ripening its sweet, juicy and refreshing gifts. And if you think you need to live in a hot country to grow it – think again! It’s quite cold hardy indeed, to USDA zone 5!

However, pawpaw can grow into a big tree, up to 30 feet tall (9.0 meters), though it usually stops before, so, if you are short of space you can grow its dwarf sister Asimina parviflora, which is a shrub. It will still give you edible fruits, which you can also cook, but it will only reach 6 to 8 feet tall (1.8 to 2.4 meters).

• Hardiness: USDA zones 5 to 9.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 8 feet (2.4 meters) for Asimina triloba, 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) for Asimina parviflora.
• Soil and water requirements: deep, fertile, well drained and regularly humid loam based soil with pH from mildly acidic to neutral.

7: Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)

Maybe you expected to find hazelnuts in our selection, because you must have seen these nutty shrubs grow in forests. But perhaps you thought I’d suggest American hazelnut (Corylus americana)… However, the beaked variety (Corylus cornuta) is a smaller shrub, growing to a maximum of 12 feet tall and in spread (3.6 meters), thus more suitable for small wooded areas.

Beaked hazelnut is an excellent shrub for land regeneration on top of giving you abundant and reliable, nutritious corps. It grows fast, it requires virtually no maintenance, and it produces an insane amount of leaves, so, organic matter to fertilize your soil. Just stick a branch in the ground and it will grow!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 4 to 8.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 6 to 7 feet (2.0 meters).
• Soil and water requirements: fairly deep, average fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay, chalk or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline.

8: Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

“Surely you can’t grow sunflower in a forest!” you may say… Well, not the big annual ones, but a perennial variety,  Helianthus tuberosus, better known as Jerusalem artichoke to foodies, performs perfectly well in part shaded areas!

Considering the dizzy retail price it retails for, and its very sophisticated flavor, it would be a pity not to plant a few tubers in your wooded area. And the harvest is just incredible; each individual plant will give you 10 or more!

While it’s a delicacy on the kitchen table, tough and cold hardy Jerusalem artichoke is also a fast-spreading perennial, and in some cases, it can become invasive – though usually not in wooded areas. So, keep harvesting and cut it back if necessary, and enjoy!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full shade.
• pacing: 3 to 5 feet (90 to 150 cm).
• Soil and water requirements: average fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay, chalk or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline.

9: Beet (Beta vulgaris)

I know, they tell you to grow beets in full Sun in your backyard garden, but these root vegetables will still give you a decent crop if you plant it in part shade in your wooded area!

The yield will be lower, and the actual beets smaller, but they may even get a better, more earthy flavor, and in terms of nutrition, they will be unmatched. Just harvest as many as you wish, and allow a few to go to seed, so you won’t have to sow them again! They will naturalize and Mother Nature will do your work for you!

Like with carrots, avoid planting or sowing beets just by tree trunks; find a space where they can grow and plump up their roots, where topsoil is loose and about 4 inches deep (10 cm); they don’t need much more…

• Hardiness: USDA zones 2 to 12 (annual).
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade, full shade.
• Spacing: 12 inches (30 cm), thin out as necessary.
• Soil and water requirements: fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay, chalk or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline.

10: Hardy Kiwi Vine (Actinidia arguta ‘Issai’)

Another exotic surprise for you: a hardy variety of kiwi that will thrive even in freezing USDA zone 3! Then again, with all those tree trunks in your wooded areas, you don’t even need a trellis to get this climber up above your head. ‘Isai’ can climb up to 20 feet (6.0 meters), but it’s very easy to prune, and guess what?

It can grow even in shady spots! Its fruits will be as juicy and sweet (and packed with Vitamin C) as those you buy from stores and markets and it self pollinates too. Just make sure you leave 3 to 4 buds on the old wood when you cut it back, because those will bear your crop next year!

However, I would suggest that you only grow kiwi vines (hardy or not) if you really have plenty of water, because they drink like camels, and large plantations can dry up whole rivers. On the other hand, if your soil is too wet, as long as it is well drained, it’s a good way to make it drier…

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 8.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full shade.
• Spacing: 3 to 5 feet (1.0 to 1.5 meters).
• Soil and water requirements: fertile and well drained, constantly humid loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from moderately acidic to neutral. It is heavy clay tolerant.

11: Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

Keeping on the sour side of fruits, raspberries are woodland berries by definition, and they are very easy to grow and propagate. There are now so many varieties and in so many colors (including yellow and black), that you can really let your imagination run wild.

You will need to prune them back when they are dormant, but for most of the year, they will be quite independent fruiting shrubs. And they will save you a lot of money. And remember to make them into jam too, an all-time favorite flavor, so you can enjoy them all year round!

Raspberry crops will yield less in wooded areas than in full sunlight; however, given the low maintenance they require, and how they fit in perfectly in forests, not growing some would be a real mistake.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 8.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 30 to 36 inches (80 to 90 cm).
• Soil and water requirements: fertile and organically rich, well drained and medium humid loam or sandy loam based soil with pH from moderately acidic to neutral.

12: Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Strangely hot, very healthy and ideal to add a spicy touch to your meals, ginger also has amazing medicinal properties and, because it tolerates shady spots, you can turn your wooded area into a little health spot!

Native to Asia, ginger has become a staple in the West as well, and it also produces attractive flowers! Plant the rhizomes under your trees, and they will grow and spread naturally. When you harvest it, leave some in the ground, and they will come back again and again.

Make sure you plant ginger rhizomes where they have about 5 inches of topsoil (12.5 cm) to grow, so, not near the trunks of trees. The only issue is that it is not cold hardy at all; but you can still have it as an annual – you’ll still get a good harvest by fall.

• Hardiness: USDA zones 8 to 12.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing:  16 inches (40 cm).
• Soil and water requirements: fertile and organically rich, well drained and medium humid loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to neutral.

13: Wild Garlic (Allium tricoccum)

Also called ramps and wild leek, wild garlic grows spontaneously in woodland areas, but if it hasn’t cropped up under the canopies of your trees yet, why don’t you give Nature a helping hand and plant some?

It will soon naturalize, and it will spread in the shade of the branches, giving fully edible plants. From bulb to foliage (and flower) in fat, it is fully edible! The leaves are broad and flat, unlike the variety you buy from market stalls and groceries, but the flavor is very similar indeed.

Easy to grow and cold hardy, wild garlic needs little or no care at all. The bulbs will propagate and give you ground cover and a pretty floral display as well, which you can harvest and eat! Don’t harvest it all, leave some plants in the soil, and it will soon call your wooded area “home”! Many other varieties of garlic grow well in shaded spots, all dibble like three-cornered leek (Allium triquetrum), with really beautiful flowers, for example. Just take your pick!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 8.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 3 to 4 inches (7.5 to 10 cm).
• Soil and water requirements: average to fertile, well drained and medium humid loam, clay, chalk or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline.

14: Red Currants and Black Currants (Ribes rubrum and Ribes nigrum)

Get two for one and fill your little forest with colorful berries, by growing red and black currants! Ideal for wooded areas, quite pricey if you want to buy them. These shrubs will definitely love the shade of your trees and fruit profusely from June to August!

Ideal for jams and preserves, you can dry them as well, though fresh they are just heavenly and refreshing. Rich in vitamins and minerals, you could even try to market them and get some profit out of basically no work at all, apart from harvesting. The best place would be a local market or restaurant, because they are a real delicacy.

Cold hardy and sturdy red and black currants are small shrubs you can grow in a modest wooded garden, and they attract lots of wildlife as well, thanks to their nutritious and colorful berries, so, great for wildlife too!

• Hardiness: USDA zones 3 to 9.
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 meters).
• Soil and water requirements: average fertile but organically rich, well drained and medium humid loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from mildly acidic to neutral.

15: Taro (Colocasia esculenta)

I have a final surprise for you to close our selection… You may know it as a houseplant, loved for its massive and exotic, glossy leaves (in many colors), but in Asia, taro (Colocasia esculenta) is mainly grown as a crop vegetable! You get the best of two worlds by growing it in your wooded area: a stunning rain forest look, and lots of food as well! It is the corms (the roots) that are edible, cooked and full of carbohydrates.

So, if you are a homesteader and you are thinking about sustainability, you will know that carbs are the real problem. And this super vigorous plant solves your problem (at least in part) using shady areas! What’s more, you can even grow it in poorly drained and very wet soil, like pond or lake sides, which is often an environment we find hard to put to use and profit from.

“Hold on,” you may say, “but taro is an exotic plant, and I don’t live in Florida.” True this exotic leafy giant is not cold hardy at all – as a perennial! But it’s mostly grown as an annual crop, so why shouldn’t you?

• Hardiness: USDA zones 9 to 12 (2 to 12 as an annual).
• Light requirements: partial shade, dappled shade and full Sun.
• Spacing: 3.3 feet (1.0 meters).
• Soil and water requirements: fertile and organically rich, well or poorly drained, constantly humid to waterlogged loam, clay or sand based soil with pH from strongly acidic to neutral.

Don’t Waste Your Wooded Land – It’s More Productive Than an Open Field!

There are any other crops you can “snuggle in” in your wooded area, most leafy veggies, brassicas and root vegetables will do fairly well also under the canopies of trees. But as you can see, there are some really expensive greens and fruits you can grow and harvest in your woodland patch, and they usually require little work. I am sure you have also found quite a few surprising varieties, as I promised. So now, look at your little woodland patch and think, “What crop could I grow here?” This will be your first step to growing a full- blown food forest!