What Plants Want to Grow Here?

One thing I’ve learned building my food forest is that plant selection starts with the site—not the plant.

For example, I didn’t start with serviceberry and build a row around it.

I started with a location:

• Moderately moist soil• Good drainage• Pond influence• Native ecosystem fit

Then I looked for plants that naturally belong there.

The result became a row built around:

🌳 Serviceberry🌿 Bayberry🍂 Spicebush

Instead of asking:

“What plant do I want?”

I try to ask:

“What plants want to be here?”

I’ve found that question leads to better designs, healthier plants, and fewer future problems.