A question from one of our West Australian readers:
“I love your idea of a micro-forest, but our soil is very sandy in WA and I don’t have time to dig up my backyard, treat the soil, then spend the rest of my year doing maintenance. I have a few succulents in my garden at the moment. Is it possible to grow a low-maintenance succulent micro-forest with edibles?”
Short answer: Yes, it’s certainly possible and an excellent idea 🌵
Long answer: A micro-forest is essentially a dense pocket of diverse vegetation that captures carbon, breaks down decomposing organic material to return nutrients to the soil, and creates a habitat for wildlife — just like a full-sized forest does, but on a smaller scale.
Succulents possess all the necessary qualities to do this job. Some species, such as the spekboom (Portulacaria afra, nicknamed “money plant” in Australia), may even be more efficient than their traditional forest counterparts due to faster growth rate, an impressive capacity for capturing carbon, the ability to adapt to changing weather conditions, and their remarkable drought-hardiness.
Seablite (Suaeda australis) is a native Amaranth sometimes used to help manage salinity and soil erosion.
How to plan your succulent micro-forest
Good soil is key to the success of any garden. In the case of a succulent garden, all you really need is appropriate drainage — this will prevent both root rot and leaf rot, which can occur in water-logged soil. If you have a few succulents thriving in your garden already, there’s a good chance you’ve got the right type of soil for a succulent micro-forest.
Gardens with clay-heavy soil: Treat your garden with sand and plenty of organic matter prior to planting.
Aim for a diverse range of succulent species, though how many different species you end up with will depend on the size of your garden. Tiny gardens, such as those in narrow garden beds or large planter boxes, may hold between five and eight different types of succulents. Meanwhile larger garden beds or whole-backyard plantings could contain fifteen or more depending on the size of both the space and your chosen plants.
Did you know the Ruby Saltbush (Enchylaena tomentosa) is an edible succulent? Its salty-sweet berries may be eaten raw or soaked in water to make a sweet tea.
Layers in a succulent micro-forest
Just like in a traditional micro-forest, your combination of succulents should cover the four layers of its forest ecosystem:
The Forest Floor
Sheltered, low-lying spaces where decomposition can occur. While you don’t exactly choose plants for your forest floor, the way you arrange the plants in the other layers may help or hinder the conditions needed for this layer to thrive.
The Herb Layer
For a succulent micro-forest, you’re looking for dense, low-lying groundcover to act as a “living mulch”, helping moisture stay in the soil and providing shelter for bugs, centipedes, and other organisms that contribute to a healthy forest floor. Most of the native edible succulents in our range belong in this layer.
The Shrub Layer
This layer consists of larger plants that, in a traditional micro-forest, provide food and shelter to creatures higher up in the food chain. In a succulent micro-forest, this is where colourful and interestingly shaped ornamentals will truly shine.
The Tree Layer
Also referred to as the canopy layer, your trees provide shelter and help maintain the climate in your ecosystem. Succulent micro-forests may fill this layer with eye-catching feature plants like Dragonfruit, Agave, Yucca and Dracena.
Samphire (Tecticornia lepidosperma) is a salty Australian edible succulent suitable for your micro-food forest’s Herb layer or Shrub layer.
Succulent micro-forest plants
To get you started, here are a few plant suggestions for planning a succulent micro-forest. Note that not every species is edible, and only some are native Australian plants.
Please note: We are only able to verify the food safety of the plants within the Tucker Bush range.
Karkalla (Carpobrotus rossii)
Edible | Native | Herb
Edible | Native | Herb
Parakeelya (Calandrinia balonensis)
Edible | Native | Herb
Aloe (Aloe spp.)
Edible* | Herb
Edible | Native | Herb, Shrub
Haworthia (Haworthia spp.)
Herb
Edible | Native | Herb
Edible | Native | Herb, Shrub
Edible | Native | Herb, Shrub
Donkey Tail (Sedum burrito)
Herb, Shrub
Edible | Native | Shrub
Agave (Agave spp.)
Edible* | Shrub, Tree
Frangipani (Plumeria spp.)
Tree
Dragonfruit (Pitaya spp.)
Edible | Tree
* Some species may be edible with special processing
