Edible shrubs
Hedging for humans and animals
Do you want to diversify your garden and do something for insects, birds and other animals at the same time? Would you also like to harvest berries, fruit and nuts at the same time? Then why not try a snack hedge made from various woody plants.
Advantages of snack hedges:
- edible fruits and nuts
- easy to care for
- a beautiful sight all year round. Flowers in spring, fruit in fall
- important food sources and habitats for insects, birds and other beneficial insects
- windbreak
- erosion protection
- privacy screen
Shrubs for your garden
Rock pear (Amelanchier ovalis)
- Location: sunny to shady, pioneer shrub
- Harvest from June
- Food for birds, bees and humans
Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, tolerates heat and wind
- Harvest between August and October
- Edible for humans and birds, flowers attractive to insects
Hazelnut (Corylus avellana)
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Harvest from September
- Food for humans, squirrels, birds, mice, ...
Dog rose (Rosa canina)
- Location: no wet soils, otherwise undemanding
- Harvest from the end of October
- Edible fruit for humans and animals especially birds
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
- Location: sunny with lime-rich soil, pioneer tree
- Harvest between late November and December
- Important food source and nesting site for birds over the winter
Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
- Location: sunny, sandy soil
- Harvest between August and October depending on variety
- Edible but very acidic fruit
Invasive hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
- Location: sunny bos shady, lime- and nutrient-rich soils
- Harvest between September and October
- Edible fruits (particularly popular with native birds)
Rowan berry (Sorbus aucuparia)
- Location: no special requirements
- Harvest from mid-August to October
- Fruits edible for birds and humans, but not raw!
Kornelkirsche von Goran Horvat auf Pixabay.
