This list isn’t all the way refined, but I generally consider it my master list of permaculture food forest plants to try to keep in stock at my nursery that are appropriate for central Florida, specifically our zone 9a. Most of these plants are the cold hardy varieties listed and may get knocked back in very cold spells like what we had in the 2022-23 season, but should sprout up again quickly in the warmer weeks following. I’ll link each one of these in the near future with their appropriate planting and care blog article here on this site. For now, use this to get some ideas for your food forest to get started on your design. Or, if you’ll be visiting our nursery, use it to highlight your priority plants you’d like to acquire.
75 Edible Perennial Food Forest Plants for Central Florida
- Moringa Oleifera PKM1
- Cranberry Hibiscus
- Elephant Ear (Malanga)
- Taro
- Blackberry/Raspberry
- Florida Cranberry (Roselle)
- Seminole Pumpkin
- Longevity Spinach
- Okinawan Spinach
- Malabar Spinach
- Basil
- Culantro
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Sweet Peppers
- Hot Peppers
- Sweet Potato
- Papaya
- Star Fruit Tree
- Avocado Tree (Del Rio, Pryor, Fantastic)
- Passion Fruit Vine (Purple possum or Maypop)
- Blueberry (Rabbiteye or Southern Highbush)
- Banana (Cavendish, Grand Nain, Orinoco)
- Fig Tree (Celeste)
- Barbados Cherry (Acerola)
- Surinam Cherry
- Red Mulberry
- Aloe Vera
- Loquat Tree
- Katuk
- Chaya
- Cassava
- Lemon Grass
- Citrus Trees (Satsuma orange, kumquat)
- Pomegranate Tree
- Pineapple Guava
- Mango Tree (Edward or Haden)
- Pineapple
- Mint
- Peach Tree (Florida Glo, Florida Prince, UF Best, And UF Gem, Tropic Snow, Tropic Beauty)
- Beautyberry
- Everglades Tomato
- Tea Plant
- Jerusalem Artichoke
- Sunflowers
- Chayote Squash
- Pygmy Date Palm (Roebelleni)
- Walking Onions
- Elderberry Tree
- Native Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
- Strawberries (Sensation, Brilliance, Medallion)
- Olive Tree (Arbequina)
- Pecan Tree (Curtis, Elliott, Excel, Lakota, and Sumner)
- Chickasaw and Flatwoods Plum
- Tree Collards
- Sorghum
- Amaranth
- Carlos Muscadine Grape Vine
- Elderberry Tree
- Jujube Tree (Chinese Date)
- Bamboo
- Sugar Cane
- Ashwagandha
- Mushrooms
- Pigeon Pea
- Dioscorea Yams (Name, Alata)
- Cuban Oregano
- Strawberry Tree
- Macadamia Nut (Waimanalo, Beaumont, Vista Hybrid)
- Prickly Pear Cactus
- Jaboticaba
- Goji Berry
- Curry Plant
- Yaupon Holly
- Cherimoya