https://deepgreenpermaculture.

com/permaculture/permaculture-design-principles/9-
diversity/

7 Typical Components of a Guild

Guilds really are great. These interconnected systems of plants and animals are clear
demonstrations of how nature achieves balance and harmony. Taking their cue from
natural ecosystems such as forests, guild planting seeks to recreate the beneficial links
between organisms by planting species that will aid one another close together. The
resultant guild will also form relationships with insects and other organisms to create a
thriving ecosystem.

Feeders
Within a guild there are those plants that feed us, by producing edible crops. As in all
permaculture practice, planting a guild should have the aim of maximizing biodiversity
and so expanding the range of foodstuffs grown. Most guilds are organized around the
central species of a fruit tree. Around the tree, the gardener should be able to cultivate a
wide variety of edible plants, including fruits, herbs, vegetables and legumes. The guilds
interaction with animals can also provide a source of food, such as bees visiting
blossoms in the guild, or livestock foraging fallen fruit. It is also worth noting that often
plants that grow well together taste good together as well, making harvesting for a meal
easy.
Fixers
Fixers refer to the plants in a guild that help to make nutrients in the soil available to all
the plants in that guild. Chief among these nutrients is nitrogen. Second only to water in
importance to healthy plant growth, nitrogen is a primary component in plant proteins
and in chlorophyll, which the plants use to photosynthesize. Certain plants are able ‘fix’
nitrogen in the soil, by interacting with a certain soil bacteria to hold nitrogen on their
root nodules.

From there the plant itself uses the element, but some is also released into the soil from
where other species can access it. Legumes are the order of plants best suited to fixing
nitrogen in the soil, so planting beans, peas, nuts and leguminous trees such as tamarind
and acacia as part of your guild will ensure good nitrogen levels in the surrounding soil.

Guild plants can also add to the nutrient load in the soil with their fallen leaves and
other mater that falls from them onto the ground. In nature, this provides compost, and
the permaculture gardener can mimic nature by simply leaving such material to reap the
nutritional benefits. As the matter breaks down it adds all the nutrients that where in the
organic matter to the soil from where plants can use them to grow. In this respect, you
could also classify microorganisms in the soil as fixers, as they break down the organic
matter within it and release the nutrients.

Rooters
Certain species of plant can be used in a guild for the benefits that their deep rooting
systems bring to the guild as a whole. Plants that send down deep roots – such as trees,
yams and potatoes – help to improve the structure of the soil, providing pore spaces into
which air can flow and water can percolate. They also reach deep into the ground in the
search for nutrients and minerals that they bring to the surface where shallower-rooting
plants and microorganisms in the topsoil can access them. In fact, some of the
microorganisms in the soil could themselves be considered rooters, as earthworms,
beetles and other insects help to keep the soil soft and well structured by burrowing
through it.

Coverers
Cover crops are plants that are low-lying and spread out to shield the soil. Sweet potato
and pumpkins are examples of cover crops that can be utilized in a guild. By covering
the soil, these types of plant protect the soil from the sun, limiting moisture evaporation
and preventing weeds from getting the level of sunshine they need to photosynthesize.
They also help protect the topsoil from erosion by wind and rain. Cover crops can also
be useful to prepare a site prior to planting a guild system. The cover crop will help
improve the soil while it is growing, then can be slashed and left to rot as part of mulch.
The subsequent guild plants will then be able to access the nutrients provided by the
cover crop.

Climbers
While some plants thrive lying low to the ground, others climb upwards in order to
grow. Climbers are typified by slender stems and branches and thus smaller crops items.
Beans, cucumbers and passion fruit are examples of climbers. They can be particularly
useful in increasing diversity and yield from a small space.
Supporters
If you have climbers in your guild, you’ll need something for them to climb up. That’s
where the supporters come in. With thicker stems, trunks and branches than climbers,
they provide the solid base on which the climbers can grow. In nature, trees, bushes and
tall string plants like sunflowers would be classified as supporters. The permaculture
can use these types of plants in a guild, but may also wish to use non-living things, such
as trellises, fences, the sides of buildings and garden walls as well. Some climbers can
overwhelm some supporters; so plan ahead when pairing the two.

Protectors
There are a lot of different types of organism that can play a protecting role in a guild.
Some plants can be used to repel or confuse insects

that may attack other

plants in the system. Certain species may also be used to deter grazers such as deer.
Insects themselves can be beneficial to the guild by predating on pest species, while
other animals such as birds, lizards and frogs, and livestock such as chickens and ducks,
can perform a similar function.

It is certainly true that each species is not limited to a single role within this framework.
Fruit trees, for instance, the specimen at the centre of the guild could be considered a
feeder, a rooter and a supporter. It can also be a fixer if its fallen leaves remain on the
ground. This is a characteristic that guild planting takes from natural ecosystems and
dovetails with the permaculture principle of maximizing the functions of any single
element on the plot.

A Permaculture Design Course Handbook

An Online Reader for the Permaculture Community
Skip to content

 Home
 Chapter 1: Introduction
 Chapter 2: Design Principles
 Chapter 3: Design Process
 Chapter 4: Pattern Understanding
 Chapter 5: Climatic Factors
 Chapter 6: Trees and their Energy Transactions
 Chapter 7: Water
 Chapter 8: Soils
 Chapter 9: Earth Working and Earth Resources
 Chapter 10: The Humid Tropics
 Chapter 11: Dryland Strategies
 Chapter 12: Humid Cool to Cold Climates
 Chapter 13: Aquaculture
 Chapter 14: The Strategies of an Alternative Global Nation
 Natural Building
 Fermentation
 Animal Systems

Diversity (Guilds)

Quick Summary

9. Diversity: the sum of the yields in a mixed system will be larger than in a

monoculture. Stability is produced when elements are cooperating. Not the number of
elements is central, but their functional connections. It can be summed through the
examination of the dynamic interplay of order and chaos, entropy, tidiness, control, and
creativity.

     Guilds: areclose associations of species around a central element. Rely on

composition and placement of species, which benefit each other. They aid in
reducing root competition, providing physical shelter, providing nutrients, and
assisting in pest control.
Philosophical Underpinnings

Systems devoid of diversity employ chaos such as insect attacks or plant diseases to
bring balance and ultimately show signs of the systems weakness.  This is the tale of the
modern day monoculture farming.  Nature uses diversity even in the driest places to

Prickly Pear Cactus

create conditions of life-enhancement so that a system functions optimally at all times.

A model of “efficiency” was institutionalized over the 170 years when it comes to
farming and the result has been anything but efficient.  On the contrary, it has been
rather disastrous.

Assuming that we examine two adjoining plots of land, 1 HA each with differing
models of growth.  One is the monoculture of say corn, wheat, or even apples.  The
other is a mix of small gardens, row crops, animal systems, tree crops, perennial
vegetables, herbs, bees, butterflies, mammals and birds.  The former uses chemicals or
high uses of energy to stabilize the system, while the other uses natural checks and
balances and the inherent order displayed in regenerating systems.  The monoculture
may outcompete organic systems, although the Rodale Institute would argue otherwise,
in the lbs/acre or kg’s/ha. However this comes with a cost, a minus sign that
unfortunately is ignored with the cost of food or the regulations.  Soil is lost, bird life is
jeopardized, and human health is marginalized for the profits of the ever needing
expansion of GDP and profit sharing that is the capitalistic model.  Meanwhile energy is
built in the opposing system, a greater caloric input is achieved, and natural capitol is
built through a creative cultivated ecology known as Permaculture.

Practical Application

A popular movement in the states right now is the idea of edible landscaping which
applies the principle of diversity.  It utilizes the following common properties of
landscaping plants but also brings the edible and often quite nutritious quality as well:
  spring blossom of particular attraction
 interesting fruit that persists
 fall foliage that displays brilliance

For temperate zones, the following pictures show some common plants that are grown
with the idea of a woodland edge that suburban gardens can represent beautifully.
Arranging them in and amongst other flowering natives, perennials, and annuals makes
a diverse landscape while reducing our need for the global food system that wastes up to
50% of all shipped produce.  Also much of our current food has been modified in
various ways to improve different qualities like shipping ability or ability to be sprayed
with pesticides yet not dying, but unfortunately we really haven’t had a focus on
improving nutrition quality.  However the below plants have more of a wild flavor and
the resulting residual nutrition qualities that are pointed out in the pictures.
North America’s largest native fruit, the Paw Paw (Asimina triloba), is a wonderful
addition to any temperate, humid climate garden.  Its native range extend from Georgia
to Canada meaning it can be grown in many locales especially those that have warm and
humid summers such as Korea or Germany or of course the eastern half of the United
States.  It is the only temperate fruit from the Custard Apple family (Anona’s) and
brings a tropical essence to the Permaculture garden with its large leaves.  It has a quite
unusual maroon flower that is pollinated in the spring by flies rather than bees as it
flowers uses a mimicry system of rotting carion rather than a sweet aroma.  However,
don’t let this stop you from planting what the locals call Indiana Banana, Ohio Banana,
Michigan Banana, or whatever state you are growing them in.  It can be grown in full
sun or shade while its native habitat is often along the edge of streams and fields.  More
sun=more fruit.  Deer and goat resistance make this species a great option for increasing
diversity without lots of hassle of protecting it from predatory herbivores.  The delicious
fruit ripens in the fall and when combined with the flour from another tree crop called
mesquite a great smoothy can be enjoyed.  Cultivated varieties are becoming quite
popular as grafting of course speeds the time until you enjoy your first fruits.
This tree is native to England and is a great addition to the home garden with its prolific
flowers and abundant fruits.  This plant has the remarkable characteristic that it is first
to flower and last to fruit!!!!!  It bears cluster of bright red fruits and can be eaten fresh,
preserved in jams or fermented to make alcohol.  I heard stories of the local doing all of
these in Bulgaria.  It forms a multiple stem trunk and after 30 years is only 15-20 feet
tall but produces a remarkable quantity of fruit.  It is in the dogwood family which gives
it an inherent beauty with it’s deeply ribbed leaves and fall foliage making it agreat
edible landscaping plant to extend the season of both fruit and flower.
The genus of amelanchier should be a widely utilized edible landscaping plant as it also
belongs to the rose/ apple family of rosaceae.  It boasts a tremendous clustering of white
flowers all over the tree in early spring which is quite the site.  The fruit then develops
to a dark blue/purple color and are a great substitute for blueberries especially in the
alkaline and heavy soils like in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA where I grew up.  The fruit are
subtly sweet and are medicinal and a traditional addition into the dried fruit and meat
dish that the plains native americans relied heavily on in North America: pemmican.
Many varieties can be grown those only reaching 2m (6ft) or those reaching 9 m (30 ft).
The tree is very abundant in fruit and flower with great fall foliage making it a great
addition to the edible landscape.
This small plant is making a North American revival after its export to Europe and
cultivar improvement.  While the name isn’t the best marketing tool (that is why you
might just encounter it as Aronia these days), it is super medicinal and a nutra-ceutical
industry is popping up around it similar to Acai or mangosteen from the tropics.
However, this is a temperate fruit and grows well next to rain gardens or on the mounds
of swales.  It can tolerate wet conditions and produces small clusters of white and
fragrant flowers in the early spring.  The dark purple berries then develop and give lots
of medicinal not yet great tasting berries.  They can be juiced with other sweet fruits or
imagine the medicinal quality when eating them and enjoy.   This plants foliage also
turns bright red in the fall which allows it to be a front and center plant in landscaping.
Finally, the flavor and aroma of kiwi fruits are enjoyed by many around the world.
However we often export them from Chile, New Zealand, or Italy where their
mediterranean climates support these fruits.  However, in the temperate regions the
hardy kiwi can be grown on trellis’s to support its vining habitat.  It also produces
delicious fruit from its fragrant white flowers.  Alternatively this one is eaten like a
table grape thus requiring no peeling.  It grows slowly initially and does require both
male and female plants for pollination.  However, once it does start to fruit be ready for
a heap of them as I have seen 30 year old vines simply dripping in Iowa, USA.  The old-
time farmer took them to market but in Bulgaria they often ferment them into a wine.
There are many cultivars these days and the nutrition value is superb.

Guilds
Guilds build on this principle of diversity through providing structure to our designs of
how we organize plants.  We msut realize and observe how nature uses certain plants to
fulfill certain functions and then build off of this inherent design.  The picture below
depicts a natural grove of plants in a garden at Permaship in the Balkan foothills in
Bulgaria.  It shows how nature arranges regenerative plants such as the deep tap rooting
Dandelion in the aster family, the nitrogen fixing vetch in the legume family, the
dynamic accumulating Stinging nettle from the mint family, and finally the perennial
fennel attracting beneficial insects from the Umbel family.  There is no seen
competition, rather the plants attracting different minerals for the health of the overall
ecosystem and providing order in the chaotic zone of regeneration of an abandoned part
of a garden. They repair and balance through attracting beneficial insects and other flora
and fauna above and below the soil line.  Other herbs and grasses and scattered about
but it shows many of the functions and plant families we are looking for when we
construct guilds in a permaculture context.

Guild of fennel, dandelion, nettle, and vetch growing wild in an abandoned part of a
garden in Bulgaria
The main concept behind guilds is that you have one central element and you build a
micro-ecosystem to reduce entropy of the sytem and connect functional interrelationship
across varying life kingdoms.  We employ the ideas of using multi-functional plants,
stacking in space and time, and use biological resources to create harmony.

Thus around our central element such as a tree shown below from different angles being
a Paw Paw, we arrange plants that enhance the growing conditions of the element.  Each
element by itself can be catapulted to a multi-function status by arranging the plants in
relative location so that inputs and outputs interactions are maximized.

As the below pictures depicts guilds provide the following four functions according to
Bill Mollison:
 1. Provide Nutrients (PN) (Nitrogen fixers, dynamic accumulators, animals such as
fowl)
2. Assist in Pest Control (APC) (Plants from the following families: Asteraceae
(daisy family), Apiaceae (or Umbelliferae, Carrot
Family),  and Lamiaceae, animals such as fowl)
3. Reduce Root Competition (RRC) (use of bulbs and deep tap-rooters such as
comfrey and cana lily to reduce root invasion from running grasses in particular)
4. Provide Physical Shelter (PPS) (use of plant such as Jerusalem Artichoke or
Cana Lily to reduce wind or sun damage on species such as Oak, Macadamia, or
Paw Paw)

The below picture shows those four functions listed in the guild plants plus other
functions like edibility or medicinal.  A classic portrayal of comfrey’s multifunctional
qualities can be seen.  Guilds are not just limited to the above families as I really like
incorporating plants from the Allium family like chives or Egyptian walking onion.
Companion planting in organic farming is a well documented strategy and I believe
Permaculture uses similar philosophy but with a greater concentration on perennials for
guilds.  Simple arrangements of plants given the correct context around climate and soil

Banana Circle Plan View- Tropical Guild with associated Earthworks

conditions will yield a better result for the overall system.  Guilds in the tropics may
include plants such as winged bean, lemongrass, and peanut grass while those in the
temperate world may include siberian pea shrub, egyptian walking onion, and clover.
These both have the same pattern but are context and climate dependent.

 Guilds can be constructed cheaply through learning plant propagation techniques such
as cuttings, layering, or root division and the dissemination of seeds.  The sheer volume
of plants that it takes to fill the guilds and make them multifunctional should be
approached this way rather than buying all the plants from nurseries.  Raising acacias by
seed, taking cutting of lavender, and dividing comfrey is essential for saving money and
cycling energy on site.
 Finally the above picture displays the spatial relationship of a newly formed guild.
They will evolve over time as the central element grows and then the plant can be
propagated.  Developing nucleus’s and then moving on as the principle of small scale
intensive suggests is vastly import.  Stability is produced through diversity and its
pattern is much more rhythmic than the opposing sterile, conventional, and chemical
orchards.

Sources:

Mollison, B. & Slay, R.M. (1991) Introdcution to permaculture. 2nd Edition. Sisters

Creek, Tasmania, Australia. Tagari.
How to make a Food Forest
Let us tell you about our own food forest work! The idea of forest gardens (food forests) was first
articulated by Robert A. de J. Hart in his book “Forest Gardening” and subsequently became one of the
key concepts in permaculture. A permaculture forest garden mimics the architecture and beneficial
relationships of a natural plant/animal community that occurs in that climate. Food forests are not
“natural”, but are designed and managed ecosystems that are very rich in biodiversity and productivity.

At our demonstration site, the food forests are designed to meet several goals that are universal, and that
are specific to us:

 to produce food for our co-housing community members

 to produce forage and serve as habitat for beneficial insects, pollinators, chickens, goats and
song birds
 to create wildlife habitat
 to provide nourishment for our bodies through herbal teas and concoctions
 to create beauty and sense of well being
 to create shade and increase ambient humidity in hot dry climate of New Mexico

Diverse harvest in early June – lavender for tea, garlic and peaches

Restored Goat/Bee Pasture

Perennial Polyculture: diversity of fruit

A glimpse through the Food Forest edge of the pasture – biodiversity rules here.

One of many members of nitrogen-fixing family of plants: False Indigo Bush, pollinator heaven.
As with our heirloom pastured poultry, focus is placed on using heritage varieties of plants whenever
possible. Most of the food forest is planted with local heritage apples, pears, apricots, cherries and plums,
some of which date back to the conquistadors’ times. For guild planting we maintain a small nursery
garden, where plants are grown to be divided, or from which seed can be harvested. For shade and
overstory trees we are using heritage varieties as well, avoiding cloned hybridized street trees type widely
available in plant nurseries. Some plants we procured by digging them from old sites nearby, others were
special ordered from growers who keep an eye on biodiversity.

Guild design follows permaculture approach of maximizing beneficial relationships between every
element of the guild, mixed with the industrious plant propagation of things that grow in nearby gardens.
These two trends define the planting scheme. New plants are destined for the nursery garden, for further
propagation. Animals are included in all guild designs. In permaculture, everything gardens. Animals are
consumers, and helpers with the fertilizing and maintenance. Chickens, worms, song birds, honeybees
and native bees, snakes, lizards, horned owl, guineas, frogs, turkeys and goats are included in guilds.

Habitat for wildlife

Beneficial insect habitat through diverse plant choices

Guinea fowl on pest patrol in the lush food forest

With fruit trees we plant nitrogen-fixing ground covers and/or a “mother” plant to shade and nurture
young seedlings (such as Siberian pea shrub, or False Indigo Bush). Then come the bulbs (iris, edible
daylily, alliums), which absorb excess nitrogen in the springtime (when it is detrimental to fruit trees),
offer bee forage and ground cover. Various sages (clary sage, culinary sage, other salvias) are there to
draw pollinators and beneficial insects. Bee forage plants, like bergamot, spirea, clovers, Rocky Mountain
beeplant serve a variety of pollinators. Perennial greens, such as garden sorrel and asparagus are planted
where the water is sufficient to warrant their survival. Mineral-mining plants (comfrey, nettles, burdock,
mullein) are combined with medicinal herbs which we use for making herbal teas and concoctions.

One of many members of nitrogen-fixing family of plants: False Indigo Bush, pollinator heaven.

Blossoming plants are everywhere, assuring continuous supply of forage for beneficial insects

Reseeding plants, like this camomile, offer forage for animals and harvest for us
 Lavender, Rose petals and Alfalfa – these plants are groundcovers, forage for the bees and tea
plants all at once.

Mullein is allowed in moderation in our garden – its massive tap root opens soils and mines
nutrients to make them available for other plants with lesser root systems. Leaves are medicinal
and also make lots of good mulch.

Rose petals, Red Strawberry Clover and Mint – Tea Garden Plants

We maintain a three season greenhouse and a garden for annual vegetables. All our seed is open
pollinated. No hybrid varieties of vegetables are used, for the same reason as we don’t use commercial
breeds of poultry. Health, taste, food security and biodiversity have become priority considerations. The
efforts to perennialize annuals by allowing reseeding are very successful, so that there is no need to plant
a whole list of veggies each year. Top reseeders are dill, carrots, parsley, marigolds, calendulas, tomatillo,
tomato, amaranth, arugula, lamb’s quarters, cilantro and mustard. Our plants are allowed to bloom, set
seed and scatter it around, following their natural path. The seeds overwinter, and come out of the ground
when they find conditions acceptable, making our lives easier.