Understory Forest Garden

Hi, so I live in zone 8B in a relatively mesic area with clay-y soils and basically inside an already mature forest. I’m surrounded by oak, hickory, and red maple trees. It’s very shady here most of the year, but the understory is basically bare. I’d really like to populate it with edible plants, but I don’t know where to start. I know I need understory trees, vines, shrubs, an herbaceous layer, and roots, but since it’s such dense shade cover, I’m concerned nothing’s gonna live. Any advice?

(For more info, I have started some mushroom logs and some hugulculture mounds to improve the soil. I’d like to cover the forest floor with hardwood mulch and start inoculating with garden giants, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.)

There are many edible shade-loving plants.

Hosta are beautiful, edible, and come in a large variety.

These are shade-loving or shade-tolerant vines, such as Arctic Kiwi, Schisandra, maypop passionfruit, scarlet runner beans, etc.

Here are "10 Edible Plants That Grow In Shade You Must Know About!" from Redemption Permaculture:

https://redemptionpermaculture.com/10-edible-plants-that-grow-in-full-shade-you-must-know-about/

From the article: Daylilies, garlic, chives, ginger, parsley, cilantro, lettuce, pawpaws, mint, alpine strawberries, blueberries, and hostas.

Here are a couple of threads on edible hostas:

https://permies.com/t/162078/perennial-vegetables/edible-hostas

https://permies.com/t/32937/Edible-hostas

If you are not seeing understory growth, it could be that your stand is too dense. Do you have a lot of immature trees mixed in with the mature trees?

To get to your goals, it might be worth looking into some thinning activities. Dropping smaller trees with weak canopy/branch growth in order to allow the more mature or healthy trees the space to grow into. This will allow light through and trigger understory growth.

I too am looking into this and finding out currants and goose berries do well in shade.

without thinning like Tim mentions, the only thing you might be able to establish with a full canopy is spring ephemerals. think ramps and the like.