Growing edible plants on your property is a great way to add real value to your home. Planting fruit and nut producing trees, shrubs, and vines can provide food for your family for decades. And cultivating an annual vegetable garden is a great way to derive a lot of nutrition from a small space. Skip ahead to the recommendations
But if you are moving into a Maryland neighborhood governed by a home owner’s association (HOA), then you might have questions about what is allowed in terms of edible landscaping.
HOAs exist for two primary objectives: To maintain a certain uniformity and quality of life in the community, and to maintain property values. HOA publish their rules in a document called a Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions declaration (CCR for short). Some of rules are perfectly reasonable, such as those banning obnoxious signage in yards, or prohibiting the storage of junk vehicles on a property. But the rules which dictate what can and cannot be grown in front and back yards can be overly restrictive, especially in a day and age when we are striving to improve our environment and grow more food locally.
Below are actual excerpts from a CCR declaration found in a Maryland HOA community:
Sample HOA CCRs regarding landscaping:
“The area within the front of a dwelling shall be kept only as a lawn for ornamental or decorative planting of grass, trees, and shrubbery. “
“Vegetable gardens shall be maintained only within the rear yard of a lot, and shall be maintained in a neat and attractive manner and screened from public view.”
“…Nothing in this Declaration shall be deemed to prohibit an Owner from placing upon its Lot reasonable sized greenhouses approved in advance by the Architectural Review Committee…”
“Any compost piles upon any Lot shall be located a minimum of fifty (50) feet from the property line of any other Lot, and shall be screened by fencing, landscaping, or a combination of the two.”
These rules are fairly standard and not especially strict (although I personally don't see anything wrong with a front yard vegetable garden, especially for south-facing front yards), but it is the first of these which is likely to be in conflict with Maryland’s recently passed Low-Impact Landscaping Bill.
Maryland’s Low-Impact Landscaping Bill
Maryland’s Low-Impact Landscaping Bill, passed in 2021, prohibits “unreasonable limitations on low-impact landscaping”.
Low-impact landscaping is defined as:
- Bio-habitat gardens designed to attract wildlife
- Pollinator gardens designed to attract pollinator species
- Rain gardens that reduce runoff, filter water, and return it to the soil
- Xeriscaping which reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water
“Unreasonable limitations” are defined as any limitation that increases the cost, decreases the efficiency, or “requires cultivated vegetation to consist in whole or in part of turf grass”.
That’s right, even the ubiquitous lawn cannot be a requirement! So while there are still some restrictions to abide by in an HOA neighborhood, there is plenty of room for creativity!
While this legislation doesn’t explicitly protect the right to grow an edible garden or to have food producing plants within an HOA community, all of the following plants would fall into at least one of the protected categories of bio-habitat, pollinator garden, or xeriscaping.
The best edible plants for ornamental landscaping in Maryland
In Montgomery County, Maryland in USDA Zone 7, we are fortunate to be in a climate that receives consistent rainfall and has temperatures that support a wide variety of both annual and perennial edible plants.
Below is a small selection of low-maintenance edible plants that thrive in Maryland’s climate and can also pull double-duty as ornamental additions to your front yard!
Lowbush Blueberry
The inconspicuous lowbush blueberry produces small white flowers in the spring, vibrant red colors in the fall, and a summer bounty of tasty blueberries! Lowbush blueberries do best in acidic soil and full to partially shaded sunlight. With a mature height of only 2-3ft, these compact bushes are appropriate for yards of all sizes!
Serviceberry
Serviceberry, also known as Juneberry, is native to the Eastern US. Small white flowers in the spring give way to clusters of bluish-purple berries that are great for fresh eating or for use in preserves and baked goods. The leaves turn a brilliant orange and red in autumn. Like blueberries, serviceberries require lightly shaded to full sunlight. The service berry showcases a multi-stemmed form that can grow to heights of 25ft with a spread of 10-15ft.
Amaranth
Amaranth is a robust annual plant with tall upright stems that provide both edible leaves and seeds. It has tightly-packed clusters of vibrant flowers, with colors that include purple, red, orange, and green, depending on the variety. Amaranth thrives in warm locations with full sun, and typically grows to heights of 4-6ft
Sunflower
The familiar sunflower ranges in color from the bright yellow, to burgundy and orange. Depending on the variety, it can grow from 5-10ft+ tall and develop flowers ranging from 4-6” in diameter to over 12” for the largest varieties, which are also the best for edible seeds. Select a sunny location for your sunflowers to thrive.
Elderberry
Elderberry bushes are a low maintenance addition to your yard that feature multiple stems with clusters of creamy-white flowers that bloom in spring, followed by clusters of small, dark purple to black berries that ripen in late summer to early fall. Elderberries are treasured for their immune boosting benefits but should not be eaten raw as they contain toxic cyanogenic glycosides. Elderberry bushes can grow in full or partial sunlight and typically reach heights of 6-12 feet with a similar canopy, forming a dense, rounded shape.
Mulberry
Mulberry trees feature broad, spreading canopies with glossy green leaves that turn golden-yellow in autumn. They produce small, sweet berries that vary in color from white to red to black, depending on the variety. Mulberries require full or partial sunlight and can thrive in urban environments. They grow to 15-30ft and develop a similar sized canopy. Keep in mind that there are both male and female mulberry trees, and you will need a female mulberry if you want to get fruit!
American Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana, aka American persimmons are trees native to Maryland that produce golf ball-sized fruits that ripen in the late fall and early winter. These trees have yellow-orange foliage in the fall and grow best in full sun. While the smaller-fruited American persimmon is not valued as highly as larger-fruited Asian varieties such as the fuyu persimmon, that has more to do with its limited shelf-life and marketability than it’s taste or nutritional value. Just be sure to eat ripe fruits after the first frost of the year to avoid any astringent taste! For those interested, the American persimmon can be grafted with Asian persimmon varieties.
Sage, Thyme, Oregano & Rosemary
These culinary herbs are characterized by aromatic foliage and delicate flowers. They are perennial in Maryland’s temperate climate and being drought tolerant, they require little maintenance to thrive, outside of a warm, sunny location.
Sage
If you have a south-facing front yard, these herbs are excellent to accompany your front walkway or can be grown in containers.
Thyme
Oregano
Soon enough, you’ll have a year-round supply of home-grown herbs!
Rosemary
If you aren't ready to make a long-term commitment, focus on annuals like sunflowers and amaranth, along with low growing herbs that require a minimal investment of time and money and can be easily removed or relocated.
If you are wanting to plant shrubs and trees that will provide food for decades, choose their sites carefully, review your HOA’s CCR’s and understand your rights under the Low-Impact Landscaping Bill.
Best of luck with your gardening endeavors!