18/08/2025
🌱 Ediblescapes Community Edible Forest Gardening Action Day
16 August 2025
This weekend, our community of agroforestry gardeners gathered once again at Ediblescapes to plant and celebrate trees with edible leaves—species that promise both ecological resilience and human nourishment.
Transitioning from Biointensive Vegetables to Edible Leaf Trees
The first garden bed chosen for this action has a rich history. Once cultivated as a biointensive vegetable bed, it supported Asian greens, tassay, mustard, and kale. Over recent seasons, it has been shifting into a syntropic perennial system, allowing self-seeding vegetables and cover plants to flourish naturally.
On this 2m x 8m bed, we embraced the biointensive principle of maximum plants in minimum space, inspired by John Jeavons’ Grow Biointensive method. Into this thriving space we introduced a new wave of edible-leaf trees:
🌳 24 White Mulberry (Morus alba)
🌿 24 Katuk (Sauropus androgynus, Sweet Leaf)
🌱 18 Moringa (Moringa oleifera) cuttings
🍃 18 Aibika / Edible Hibiscus (Abelmoschus manihot) cuttings
Already thriving in this bed were 12 cassava plants (Manihot esculenta). Originally planted for tuber harvest, these plants will now be pruned hard to encourage the production of edible leaves, which—after 15 minutes of cooking—are a safe and nutritious vegetable.
To complete the day’s work, we planted five Chinese Toon (Toona sinensis), along with groundcover species generously provided by JAC Orchids (rare & unusual plants, referred by Reville Saw).
Why Trees with Edible Leaves?
As our working book Growing Trees with Edible Leaves reminds us:
“As humanity faces a difficult century with climate, nutrition, and biodiversity crises, trees with edible leaves provide a pathway forward. The time is ripe for the rest of humanity to follow the lead of farmers and gardeners in the tropics, and in temperate Asia, in embracing a partnership with trees with edible leaves.”
These species are not only resilient but also multi-nutrient powerhouses—rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins that help address both malnutrition and industrial diet deficiencies.
Managing Growth through Hard Pruning
Another essential principle we practiced was aggressive pruning. By cutting back trees hard, new tender shoots grow back abundantly and stay edible for months, rather than just a few weeks. This technique also extends harvests into the dry season, when fresh vegetables are otherwise scarce.
Featured Species Planted
White Mulberry – Extremely high in calcium, iron, and Vitamin C. Traditionally used in Asia as both vegetable and fodder.
Moringa – Known as the “miracle tree,” high in Vitamin C, iron, and magnesium, with edible leaves, pods, flowers, and seeds.
Chinese Toon – Nutritious leaves with a unique flavor, sometimes called the “chicken soup leaf.”
Katuk (Sweet Leaf) – High-yield, shade-loving perennial vegetable.
Aibika – A mild-tasting, calcium-rich leafy hibiscus, popular across the Pacific.
Cassava (Yuca) – Grown worldwide for its roots, but equally valuable for its edible leaves once cooked.
A Shared Meal to Close the Day
Our work was followed by a communal meal prepared by Daniel and Eirinn. Sitting together under the shade of the garden canopy, we enjoyed not only the food but also the vision of what this edible forest will become—an abundant, regenerative system where vegetables come not only from the soil but also from the trees above.
✨ This 16 August 2025 action day deepens Ediblescapes’ role as a living example of agroecology and community-based syntropic food forestry, where every planting strengthens our partnership with nature.
