Edible native plants for your landscape

Food that belongs here

A native fruit tree does two jobs at once: it feeds you, and it feeds the insects and birds that evolved alongside it. The plants below are described by University of Maryland Extension, which confirms their native status in Maryland. Native ranges vary, so check each plant's profile in the USDA PLANTS database or with your extension office for your area.

Safety first

Growing a plant you bought and labeled is different from foraging one you found. The Utah Poison Control Center's advice is plain: only eat a wild plant if you are 100% sure what it is, learn from an experienced mentor, and don't rely on plant identification apps, which aren't always accurate. Some edible plants have deadly look-alikes, such as death camas, which can be mistaken for wild onion.

If you suspect a poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Small trees

These three fit the understory layer of a food forest, under taller trees or at the sunny edge of a woods.

• Serviceberry: University of Maryland Extension notes coastal serviceberry is locally native there, insect-pollinated, and able to fruit on its own.
• Pawpaw: a native understory tree growing 15 to 25 feet tall, with very perishable fruit. It isn't self-pollinating, so plant trees no more than about 30 feet apart.
• American persimmon: native and found across most of Maryland. Trees are usually either male or female, so you'll need both for fruit.

Shrubs

Elderberry needs a real caution. University of Minnesota Extension explains that raw elderberries, along with the stems, leaves, seeds, and flowers, contain compounds that can release cyanide during digestion. Remove stems and leaves, and heat-treat the berries before eating them.

• Elderberry: a hardy native shrub that crops best when cross-pollinated, planted at least 6 feet apart. Cook the berries before eating them.
• Aronia: an adaptable native shrub with blueberry-sized, astringent berries, usually used in juice, jam, and wine. It fruits on its own but sets more with a second plant.

The black walnut rule

Black walnut is a valuable native nut tree, but it's a difficult neighbor. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension explains that it produces juglone, a compound concentrated in its buds, nut hulls, and roots that stops many plants from growing nearby. The effect can reach roughly 50 to 80 feet from the trunk and is strongest under the canopy.

Sensitive plants include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, apples, blackberries, and most berries. Beans, carrots, corn, and squash are more tolerant. Give a walnut its own space, and don't use walnut leaves or hulls as mulch.

Plan with wildlife in mind

Native fruit is food for birds too, and they'll often find it before you do. That's part of the point. Plant a little more than you need, put the shrubs where you can watch them, and treat the share the birds take as the plant doing its other job.