Native Plant Agriculture

What is Native Plant Agriculture?

Native Plant Agriculture (NPA) is the implementing of edible native plants as the basis of a primarily perennial agricultural system that mimics native plant communities in format. The goal of NPA is to expand native vegetation back into agricultural land to restore a significant level of biodiversity while improving human-food productivity for a changing climate and growing population.

When/if agriculture shifts to a Native Plant Perennial system, soil is conserved, more carbon is sequestered in the soil and above ground, irrigation needs decrease, fertilizer needs decrease and biodiversity increases in response to the native plant diversity. Since the plants are native, it becomes "eco-inclusive", allowing all types of native insects including pollinators, and higher life forms to co-exist. Compare this with our current agricultural system which is "eco-exclusive" primarily supporting one single species desires (humans). Any food system that isn't based in native plants is much more so eco-exclusive, as non-native plants lack the co-evolution with native insects and wildlife to support them.

Native Plant Agriculture could mitigate habitat fragmentation and habitat loss by connecting perennial native plant agricultural land to existing undeveloped habitat. The inclusion of native plants as the foundation of our agricultural systems is an answer to questions about insect and pollinator decline, and sequestering carbon on cropland through perennial agriculture.

See our Online Book - Native Plant Agriculture Vol 1. - Responding to Biodiversity and Climate Change with Large Scale Ecological Restoration - 176 pages at this link. - Or scroll downwards on this page. The paperback printed form will be reprinted and available spring of 2025.

NPA Crops of the Eastern half of the U.S. - Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic.

This list is partly limited to higher potential native crops and is incomplete; not encompassing the entirety of applicable species. Please research before consuming these species. Like grocery store produce; not all are safe consumed in their raw form.

Native Fruit Production: PawPaw, American Persimmon, Native Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Passionflower - Passionfruit (Passiflora incarnata), Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea), Native Apples: (Malus coronaria, Malus angustifolia, Malus ioensis), Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa, Red Chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia, Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia), Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca) cultivars, Muscadine Grapes (Vitis rotundifolia), Red Mulberry (Morus rubra), Serviceberry species (Amelanchier sp.), High-Bush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Black Raspberry, Pink Flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus), American Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus var. strigosa), Native Blackberries (Rubus pensylvanicus and Rubus allegheniensis), Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa), Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), Mayapple, Smooth Sumac, Shining Sumac, Staghorn Sumac, Fragrant Sumac - - list still growing

Wild Plums and Native Cherries: Common Plum (Prunus americana), Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia), Quapaw Plum (Prunus hortulana), Shawnee Wild Plum (Prunus munsoniana), Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana), Beach Plum (Prunus maritima), Flatwoods Plum (Prunus umbellata), Sand Cherry (Prunus pumilla), Thicket Cherry (Prunus virginiana), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina).

Gooseberries/Currants: Golden Currants (Ribes areum), American Gooseberries (Ribes hirtellum), American Black Currant (Ribes americanum), Missouri Gooseberry (Ribes missouriense), Appalachian Gooseberry (Ribes rotundifolium), and other native Gooseberries and native Currants.

Ground Cherries: Physalis longifolia, Physalis pubescens, Physalis heterophylla, Physalis pubescens, Physalis virginiana, Physalis grisea - common ground cherry species native to central/midwestern, eastern, northeastern, and southeastern U.S.

Native Vegetable Crops: Virginia Spiderwort and Ohio Spiderwort (Stems/leaves), Honewort (cryptotaenia canadensis), Riverbank Grape (leaves/stems/tendrils), Slender Nettle Urtica gracilis (leaves/stems), Wood Nettle (leaves/stems), Common Milkweed (Shoots, Seed Pods/Leaves) Cutleaf Coneflower (leaves), Wild Leeks (Allium tricoccum and Allium burdickii), Passionflower (leaves/stems/tendrils), American Linden (leaves), Red Mulberry (leaves), Amaranthus: hybridus, powellii, tuberculatus (leaves), Pitseed Goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri), Missouri Lambquarters (C. missouriense), Strawberry Spinach (Chenopdoum capitatum), Pokeweed Stems/shoots and Leaves (Phytolacca americana ), Sumac shoots (Staghorn Sumac), Cup Plant ( Young Leaves), River Cane (Young Shoots) Arundinaria gigantea, Smooth Carrionflower Smilax herbacea (shoots), Blue Ridge Carrionflower Smilax lasioneura (shoots) Cow Parnsip - sap is phototoxic to skin; (Heracleum maximum), Yellow Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis) - list still growing

Root Vegetables: Purple Mallow Poppy - Root (Callirhoe involucrata), Pasture Thistle (Cirsium discolor), Sweet Root Wild Hyacinth (Camassia scilloides-Root), Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), Broadleaf Cattail-Root/shoot (Typha latifolia), American Lotus-stems/roots/leaves (Nelumbo lutea), Allium cernuum (leaves/roots), Showy Wild Garlic (Leaves/shoots/roots) Allium canadense var. lavendulare, Wild Garlic Stem/Root (Allium canadense), Prairie Onion Allium stellata, Yellow Nutsedge - Cyperus esculentus (Root) Evening Primrose (Root/Leaves), Groundnut (Apios americana - Root), Jerusalem Artichoke Cultivars (Root), Water Parsnip (Sium suave), Wild Potato Vine (Ipomea pandurata) - list still growing

Native Seed/Nut Crops: Bur Oak, Red Oak, Shumard Oak, White Oak, Swamp White Oak, Shellbark Hickory, Shagbark Hickory, Red Hickory (Carya ovalis), Pecans, Black Walnut Cultivars, American Chestnut (future blight resistant cultivars), Allegheny Chinkapin, American Hazelnut(Corylus americana), Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), Helianthus annus cultivars (Annual sunflower), Pitseed Goosefoot (Chenopodium berlandieri), Missouri Lambquarters (C. missouriense), Native Amaranth species, Thicket Bean (Phaseolus polystachios), Trailing Wild Bean aka Fuzzy Bean (Strophostyles helvola), Groundnut (beans), Virginia Wild Rye (Elymus virginicus), Canada Wild Rye (Elymus canadensis), Riverbank Rye (Elymus riparius), Wild Rice: Zizania aquatic, Zizania palustris, and Zizania texana, Giant Ragweed (Seeds) - list still growing

Herbal, Tea, and Culinary Crops: Sugar Maple syrup, Black Walnut Syrup, Sumac Spice, Prickly Ash spice, Wild Bergamot herb, Nannyberry and BlackHaw Viburnum Sauces, Wild Plum Sauce, Juniper Berries, White Prairie Clover (root), Anise Hyssop Agastache foeniculum, Great Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea), Allium cernuum (leaves/roots), Showy Wild Garlic (Leaves/shoots/roots) Allium canadense var. lavendulare, Wild Garlic Stem/Root (Allium canadense), Prairie Onion Allium stellata, Horseweed (Leaves),Wild Leeks (Allium tricoccum and Allium burdickii), Sweet Flag (Acorus americanus), Prairie Tea - Croton monanthogynus - list incomplete

Native Mushrooms: To Be Added

Nitrogen Harvesting Crops for Greenmulching/Fertilizing: Wild Senna, Maryland Senna, Partridge Pea, Baptisia species, Illinois Bundle Flower, Desmodium species, American Burnweed - list incomplete

NPA Wetland Aquaculture

Native Fish Production - Wetland Aquaculture

Meat Production in Native Plant Agriculture seeks to use the most resource efficient native livestock possible; Channel Catfish (+50% feed conversion rate) and Sunfish family fish (+50% feed conversion rate). The departure from non-native land based livestock eliminates over half of the loss inherent in meat production. Cows convert what they eat into harvested meat at ratio of 1 to 3%, meaning 97-99% loss. Pigs; 10-11% conversion, 90-89% loss. Chicken; 13% conversion, 87% loss. Comparatively native Channel Catfish and Sunfish family fish can convert feed at over 55% efficiency, 45% loss. This difference in efficiency is primarily because fish are cold blooded (don’t use calories to stay warm) and suspended in water (less energy needed to move or maintain position).

The goal of Native Wetland Aquaculture on a NPA farm will be not only to promote the most sustainable resource efficient meat production possible, but to create a habitat that will significantly raise the biodiversity of the NPA farm through the inclusion of a wetland-gradient.

How to Use our Native Plant Agriculture Online Book

WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW WITH THE VOLUME ON TO EXPERIENCE THE ONLINE BOOK BEFORE PURCHASING. ONLINE BOOKS ARE MEANT TO BE READ ON LARGER SCREENS THAN PHONES SUCH AS TABLETS, LAPTOPS, OR DESKTOP COMPUTERS. IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ IT ON A PHONE, IMAGINE READING A BOOK AS TINY AS A PHONE SCREEN - IT WON’T BE ADVANTAGEOUS SO PLEASE USE A LAPTOP, TABLET, OR DESKTOP COMPUTER SCREEN TO READ THE BOOK ON.

PREVIEW AND PURCHASE Our Native Plant Agriculture Volume 1. ONLINE BOOK BELOW

50 Minute Free Presentation on Native Plant Agriculture

Free to display or view by Organizations, Businesses, and INdividuals.