01 — Plant directory
Fruit, herbs & vegetables
Filter by growing system, type, category, or search by name. Use the Herbs & Veg chip or Herbs & Veg only dropdown to explore the full edible garden directory.
ⓘ Plant data is a guide only. Harvest months and cultivation notes vary with region, microclimate and variety. Always confirm edibility with a qualified expert before consuming any unfamiliar plant.
Orchard
Food forest
Herbs & Veg
NZ Natives
All systems
Agroecology
Syntropic Biome
Permaculture
Rongōā Māori
33 plants
| Plant | Category | Varieties / cultivars | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Climate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Apple | Apple | Beauty of Bath (Dec-Jan), Keswick Codlin (Dec-Jan), Discovery (Jan), Grenadier (Jan-Feb), Akane (Jan-Feb), Epicure (Jan-Feb), Cox's Orange (Mar-Apr), Kidd's Orange (Mar-Apr), Bramley's Seedling (Apr-May), Granny Smith (Apr-May), Sturmer (May-Jun) | temperate | Pick when flesh is firm; store cool-climate varieties (Sturmer, Granny Smith) for months. Early varieties best eaten fresh. ★ Train as central leader or espalier. | ||||||||||||
| Berry · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Blackcurrant | Berry | Kimberley, Goliath, Ben Lomond, Magnus | temperate | Harvest Dec–Feb in clusters when fully black. Rich in Vitamin C. Prune hard after harvest. Tolerates wetter soils than most fruit. | ||||||||||||
| Blueberry | Berry | Blueberry, Bluecrop, Tifblue, Denise Blue, Nui | temperate | Harvest Dec–Mar; berries ripen over several weeks — pick when fully blue and sweet. Needs acidic soil (pH 4.5–5.5); mulch with sawdust. Self-fertile but better yields with two varieties. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Chokeberry | Berry | Aronia melanocarpa, Viking | temperate | Harvest Feb–Apr when deep purple-black. High antioxidants. Very cold hardy; tolerates wet soils. Good FF shrub layer. Stunning autumn colour. | ||||||||||||
| Goji Berry | Berry | Goji (Lycium barbarum), NQ1, Sweet Lifeberry | temperate | Harvest Jan–Apr when bright red and slightly soft. Dry or eat fresh. Very drought tolerant once established; tolerates poor soils. Thorny — plant away from paths. ★ | ||||||||||||
| Gooseberry | Berry | Invicta, Pax, Hinnonmaki Red, Hinnonmaki Yellow | temperate | Harvest Nov–Jan. Pick when slightly soft for dessert; firmer for cooking. Thorny — wear gloves. Tolerates part shade. Prune to open goblet shape for airflow. | ||||||||||||
| Worcesterberry | Berry | Worcesterberry | temperate | Harvest Dec–Jan. Cross between gooseberry and blackcurrant; very productive. Very thorny — handle with care. Resistant to most diseases. Good for jams and pies. | ||||||||||||
| Cherry · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Cherry | Cherry | Stella, Sour Morello, Konini, Lapins, Sweetheart | temperate | Harvest Nov–Jan (early varieties Nov–Dec). Net against birds — essential. Rain at harvest causes splitting; cover if possible. Needs 700+ chilling hours. ★ Most need a pollinator. | ||||||||||||
| Feijoa/Subtropical · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Feijoa | Feijoa/Subtropical | Ahiart (Mar-Apr), Kaitei (Apr-May), Kokariki (Mar-Apr), Unique (Apr), Apollo (Apr-May), Mammoth (May-Jun), Triumph (May), Wiki Tu (May) | temperate | Harvest Mar–Jun when fruit falls naturally — do not pick early. Fruit drops over 4–6 weeks. Plant two varieties for cross-pollination. Highly productive; excellent NZ performer. Flowers edible (petals sweet). ★ | ||||||||||||
| Kiwifruit · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Hardy Kiwi | Kiwifruit | Actinidia arguta (Issai, Ken Red) | temperate | Harvest Feb–Apr when slightly soft. Skin is edible — grape-sized fruit. Extremely cold hardy (-30°C). Very vigorous climber — needs strong support. Better yields with male/female plants. | ||||||||||||
| Other · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Grape | Other | Albany Surprise, Niagara, Pinot Gris, Muscat Bleu, Gewürztraminer | temperate | Harvest Feb–Apr depending on variety. Prune hard in winter (Jul–Aug) — remove 90% of growth. Train on pergola or Guyot system. Excellent for warm N-facing slopes. ★ | ||||||||||||
| Peach/Nectarine · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Apricot | Peach/Nectarine | Moorpark, Sundrop, Trevatt, Rival | temperate | Harvest Dec–Feb when fully coloured and slightly soft. Thin to 8cm spacing in Nov. Needs warm sheltered site; frost at blossom time (Aug) is main risk. ★ | ||||||||||||
| Nectarine | Peach/Nectarine | Goldmine, Fantasia, Snow Queen, Independence | temperate | Harvest Dec–Feb depending on variety. Thin fruit in Nov to 15cm spacing. Needs warm, sheltered, well-drained site. Same care as peach. Susceptible to leaf curl — spray with copper in winter. | ||||||||||||
| Peach | Peach/Nectarine | Blood Peach, Gordon Glory, April White, Reliance, Red Haven | temperate | Harvest Dec–Mar. Thin to 15–20cm in Nov for large fruit. Susceptible to brown rot in wet weather; brown rot spray at petal fall. Needs good air circulation. Prune in spring after harvest. | ||||||||||||
| Pear · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Pear | Pear | William's Bon Chrétien (Feb), Starkrimson (Feb-Mar), Conference (Mar-Apr), Nijisseiki/Nashi (Feb-Mar), Beurre Hardy (Apr), Packham's Triumph (Apr-May) | temperate | Harvest Feb–May; pick before fully ripe and ripen indoors. Nashi ready when crunchy and sweet. Most varieties need a pollinator. European pears need cold storage. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Plum · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Plum | Plum | Wilson's Early (Dec), Santa Rosa (Jan), Angelina Burdette (Jan-Feb), Billington's (Feb), Burbank (Jan-Feb), Fortune (Feb-Mar), Greengage (Feb-Mar), Satsuma (Jan) | temperate | Harvest Dec–Mar. Thin heavy crops in Nov. Most Japanese plums self-fertile; European plums may need pollinator. Pick when flesh gives slightly near stalk. | ||||||||||||
| Quince · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Quince | Quince | Smyrna, Vranja, Champion | temperate | Harvest Apr–Jun when golden yellow. Not eaten raw — cook for jelly, paste, membrillo. Cold hardy; tolerates wetter soils. Stunning spring blossom (Sep–Oct). Self-fertile. Long-lived tree. | ||||||||||||
| Raspberry/Bramble · Temperate | ||||||||||||||||
| Boysenberry | Raspberry/Bramble | Boysenberry, Mapua | temperate | Harvest Dec–Feb. Tie new canes in summer; fruit on previous season canes. Very productive; excellent for jams and pies. ★ | ||||||||||||
| Raspberry (Autumn) | Raspberry/Bramble | Heritage, Autumn Bliss, Joan J | temperate | Harvest Mar–May on current season canes. Cut all canes to ground in winter. Disease-resistant varieties preferred in humid areas. Excellent for food forests — tolerates part shade. | ||||||||||||
| Raspberry (Summer) | Raspberry/Bramble | Walua, Aspiring, Glen Ample, Willamette | temperate | Harvest Nov–Jan on second-year canes. Remove fruited canes after harvest; tie in new canes. Mulch heavily. Prefers cool roots — mulch with straw. | ||||||||||||
| Citrus · Subtropical | ||||||||||||||||
| Citrus (Grapefruit) | Citrus | Marsh Seedless, Golden Special, Wheeny | subtropical | Harvest May–Oct; fruit holds on tree for months — pick as needed. Sweetens after Jun frosts. Needs warmest site in garden. Protect from frost below -3°C. ★★★ conservatory south of Hamilton | ||||||||||||
| Citrus (Lemon) | Citrus | Meyer, Eureka, Lisbon, Yen Ben | subtropical | Meyer lemon harvests nearly year-round in warm sites; peak May–Sep. Eureka/Lisbon harvest Jun–Oct. Meyer most cold-hardy — survives -5°C. Fruit holds on tree well. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Citrus (Mandarin) | Citrus | Miho Wase, Satsuma, Clementine, Silverhill, Encore | subtropical | Harvest Apr–Aug. Satsuma ripens earliest (Apr–Jun); Encore latest (Jul–Aug). Sweetest after cool nights. Self-fertile. Most mandarins tolerate -5°C briefly. ★★★ | ||||||||||||
| Citrus (Orange) | Citrus | Washington Navel, Harwood Late, Valencia, Cara Cara | subtropical | Navel harvest May–Aug; Valencia Jun–Sep. Holds well on tree — pick as needed. Needs genuine heat to develop sweetness; best in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne. ★★★ | ||||||||||||
| Citrus (Lime) | Citrus | Tahitian, Kaffir, Finger Lime | subtropical | Tahitian lime harvests almost year-round; peak Apr–Sep. Most frost-tender citrus — protect below 0°C. Kaffir lime — leaves used year-round. ★★★ conservatory south of Tauranga | ||||||||||||
| Feijoa/Subtropical · Subtropical | ||||||||||||||||
| Loquat | Feijoa/Subtropical | Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica), Champagne, Big Jim | subtropical | Harvest Sep–Dec — one of first fruits of the season. Orange when ripe; sweet-tart. Self-fertile. Flowers Nov–Jul (fragrant); frosts at flowering reduce crop. Hardy to -10°C when established. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Persimmon | Feijoa/Subtropical | Matsumoto Wase Fuyu, Izu, Jiro, Nightingale, Sharon | subtropical | Harvest Apr–Jun when deep orange. Non-astringent types (Fuyu) edible firm; astringent types (Hachiya) must be fully soft. Stunning autumn colour. Very cold hardy once established. Long-lived tree. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Pomegranate | Feijoa/Subtropical | Wonderful, Eversweet, Grenada, Nana (dwarf) | subtropical | Harvest Apr–Jun when deep red and knocking sounds hollow. Very drought tolerant; thrives in hot dry sites. Crack-resistant varieties preferred in humid NZ. Stunning flowers Sep–Nov. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Tamarillo | Feijoa/Subtropical | Tamarillo Red, Yellow, Goldmine | subtropical | Harvest Apr–Jul when deep red/yellow and skin gives slightly. Fast-growing — fruits in 18 months. Short-lived (5–8 years); replace regularly. Heavy feeder — fertilise monthly. Frost tender; protect below -2°C. ★★★ | ||||||||||||
| Fig/Mulberry · Subtropical | ||||||||||||||||
| Mulberry | Fig/Mulberry | Hick's Early, Black Mulberry, White Mulberry, Pakistan Mulberry | subtropical | Harvest Nov–Feb over a long season — fruit falls when ripe. Lay a sheet underneath! Excellent FF canopy tree. Very long-lived; tolerates heat and drought. Berries stain badly. ★ | ||||||||||||
| Fig | Fig/Mulberry | Brown Turkey, Black Genoa, White Adriatic, Brunoro Black | subtropical | Harvest Feb–May; fruit ready when droops slightly and skin cracks. Main crop Mar–Apr; secondary crop (on current growth) Feb. Pick daily when ripe — spoils quickly. Needs hot summer. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Kiwifruit · Subtropical | ||||||||||||||||
| Kiwifruit | Kiwifruit | Hayward, Bruno, Monty, Hort16A (gold) | subtropical | Harvest Apr–Jul when flesh gives slightly. Store in cool dark place — ripens off vine. Male/female plants needed (1:8 ratio). Prune hard in winter. ★★ | ||||||||||||
| Passionfruit/Vine · Subtropical | ||||||||||||||||
| Passionfruit (Black) | Passionfruit/Vine | Black, Ned Kelly, Panama Gold, Panama Red | subtropical | Harvest Feb–Jun when fruit falls or skin wrinkles. Prolific producer; replace vines every 5–7 years. Feed heavily with potassium. Grafted plants more vigorous and disease-resistant. ★★★ conservatory south of Wellington | ||||||||||||
Open the harvest timeline → for a linear view of ripening months across the year.