“Crûg Farm Plants has an outstanding and unrivalled selection of plants, located in one of the most beautiful areas of North Wales” is what you can read on this exceptional nursery’s web site and I can’t argue about that. Although they don’t mention the edibility of their plants, they do have one of the best selections of novel perennial vegetables, particularly sansai and sannamul plants from Japan and Korea respectively (i.e., wild foraged species). Often there are several selections of the different species, often collected by the owner’s themselves on their numerous plant hunting expeditions (see http://www.crug-farm.co.uk/plant_hunting-3.aspx )
I just wish I lived nearer…or maybe not, as my bank balance would be severely affected if I did ;-)
I looked quickly through their plant list for 2015 and noted the following plant families with edible members, many mentioned in my book Around the World in 80 plants! Others I would love the opportunity to trial!
Actinidia – 13 different of 8 species
Adenophora (Bellflower family) – 12 different
Agastache rugosa ‘Korean Zest’
Akebia – 6 different
Anemone rivularis – 2 different
Angelica – 14 different
Aralia – 18 different, including 4 different selections of A. cordata (Udo), my biggest vegetable, A. continentalis and A. elata (all are in my book Around the world in 80 plants)
Asparagus – 2 different species
Campanula – 4 different
Cardamine – 14 different, including 3 accessions / name varieties of North American C. diphylla (would love to try that one)
Chengiopanax sciadophylloides (Araliaceae) – this is top of my list of wants, but it is currently out of stock
Codonopsis (Bellflower family) – 18 different
Elaeagnus umbellatus
Eleutherococcus – 6 different
Fallopia multiflora v. hypoleuca
Farfugium japonicum – double flowered
Hemerocallis – 4 species
Hosta – 16 different species and cultivars like Big Daddy (see my book)
Hovenia dulcis
Kalopanax septemlobus v. magnificus (see my book)
Ligularia fischeri from India, Japan and from Korea (my favourite new perennial vegetable of the last 2 years, didn’t make it into my book). See http://www.edimentals.com/blog/wp-admin/post.php?post=3114&action=edit (Ligularia fischeri, King of the Sannamul)
Lilium – numerous species including my favourite edible Lilium davidii
Luma apiculata
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Molopospermum peloponnesiacum
Oplopanax horridus and O. japonica (see http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1161 for Oplopanax tempura)
Parasenecio – 8 different (I haven’t tried these yet, watch this space) (see my book, syn Cacalia)
Patrinia – 3 different (I haven’t tried these yet, watch this space) (see my book)
Petasites japonicus v. giganteus – Japanese Fuki, a very important early spring vegetable (see my book)
Polygonatum – numerous
Rheum – 4 species
Saxifraga stolonifera – 3 different
Schisandra chinensis – 3 accessions
Streptopus amplexicaulis and S. roseus (lanceolatus)
Trachystemon orientalis – See http://www.edimentals.com/blog/?page_id=1269
Zanthoxylum – 16 different, including Szechuan pepper and other edible species.
Zingiber mioga ‘Crûg’s Zing’ – Hardy perennial ginger for the forest garden