Pear Tree Guild

Included are types of plants chosen for their specific functions and interactions with the floral and fauna community as a whole.

FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY

• Bartlett Pear -central guild species; provides edible fruit, pollen & nectar, shade, wood...
• Apple & Spearmint -bermuda grass control, edible, insectary (provides food or shelter)...
• Borage -dynamic accumulator, insectary, tea...
• Columbine -native, edible, medicinal, insectary...
• Dandelion -dynamic accumulator (deep tap root), insectary, edible (dandelion wine!)...
• Daylily -edible (flowers and roots -boiled like potatoes), insectary...
• Crimson clover -nitrogen fixation (legume), soil cover, insectary, edible flowers...
• Calendula -garden tonic, medicinal, edible...
• Scallions -aromatic pest confuser (strong smells confuse pests), edible, insectary...

 I CANNOT WAIT TO EAT THIS BEAUTY!

Yet Another Edible!!

Hollyhock Alcea rosea 

The young tender leaves and inner portions of the stem can be eaten raw or cooked.  The young leaves and flowers can be chopped finely in salads.  The roots can be eaten like potatoes and are quite nutritious.

Medicinally, the flowers and roots can be harvested and dried for use as a mild tea which is said to help with inflammatory issues.

Hollyhock's further uses:

• Dynamic accumulator –can be used to activate (bacterial) decomposition of compost
• Paper –fiber from the stems
• Litmus –anthocyanin pigment in flowers
• Dye –brown colored dye from flowers

Source: Plants for a Future