NE 120th Food Forest

NE 120th FOOD FOREST

This is the first front yard food forest demonstration site in outer NE Portland, an area that has a long history of orchards, but after WWII was developed and most of the fruit trees were removed. This area of town also has a good deal of food insecurity and large food deserts. This 1200sq ft design uses principles of the forest garden design. Planting began in March 2024.

This planting’s canopy layer tree guilds include olives, mulberry, medlar, cherry, persimmon, loquat, plum, apple, and fig.

The shrub layer includes blueberries, shipova, pomegranate, pineapple guava, currants, gooseberries, jostaberry, aronia, yuzu, goji, and elderberry.

The groundcover consists of strawberry with sweet potato and squash growing during the summer.

Nitrogen Fixers include perennials autumn olive, goumi, and lupine with fava, pole and bush beans, peanuts, and snap peas during the summer.

The herbaceous Layer includes comfrey, yarrow, lavendar, mugwort, purple mountain spinach, parsley, artichoke, tree collards, sea kale, herbs, medicinals, and a variety of pollinator-supporting flowers.

The vine layer includes hardy kiwi.

The root and mycelial layers include garlic, potatoes, onions, ginger, and winecap mushrooms