Every plant in this guild was chosen twice: once for the plate, once for the body. Here is what each one feeds and heals, how it is traditionally prepared — and the swap-in options for every layer, so you can plant what your household actually eats and sells.
Food value
Medicinal use
Swap-ins per layer
High market value options
This is traditional and nutritional knowledge shared for education. It is not a substitute for medical care — talk to a health professional about existing conditions or medication.
The core plants are a starting point, not a rulebook. Every layer below ends with a list of swap-in options. Keep the job of the layer, change the plant to suit your space, your climate, your market and your family's taste.
31 of the swap-ins are marked high market value — lowland options that reliably fetch a premium locally. High price per kilo usually means slower growth, smaller volume, or a niche buyer, so each one states its trade-off.
Layer
The Canopy Layer
One tree per 25 sqm — the single tall producer that shades everything beneath it.
Jackfruit
Langka
Packed with carotenoid antioxidants that protect eye health and lower inflammation. The seeds contain prebiotics that feed beneficial gut bacteria, and the raw fruit has a low glycemic index — good for blood sugar control.
Ripe fruit
Eat raw as a sweet, high-energy snack.
Unripe (green) fruit
Simmer the white fibrous flesh in coconut milk with chilis and garlic for Ginataang Langka.
Seeds
Do not discard. Boil or roast in their skins for 20 minutes until soft, then peel and eat like chestnuts.
More options for this layer
15 swap-ins
Pick one canopy tree per 25 sqm plot, and only one. The three most recommended starters are Papaya for speed, Guyabano for medicine, and Avocado for nutrition and steady market price — everything below adapts to whichever you plant. If you want more trees, plant another plot rather than crowding this one. The options marked high market value are the premium lowland fruits, nuts and spice trees, but they all trade a faster harvest for a better price.
Papaya
Papaya
Fastest food of any canopy tree — fruit within 8–10 months, and the enzyme papain aids digestion.
Planting note Plant 3 seedlings and keep the healthiest female or hermaphrodite. Fits plots as small as 9 sqm.
Soursop
Guyabano
The most requested medicinal fruit in the Philippines: acetogenins, high vitamin C, and leaves brewed as a calming tea.
Planting note Stays under 6 m and tolerates partial shade, so it slots in beside a bigger tree.
Avocado
High market value
Abukado
One of the three most recommended canopy trees: healthy fats, potassium and folate make it the strongest choice for families building up undernourished children, and it holds a high price per kilo all season.
Market Fresh fruit sells reliably to vendors, restaurants and health buyers. Surplus and bruised fruit still earn as guacamole, sandwich spread, cold-pressed oil, ice cream base or frozen pulp. Trade-off: a grafted sapling takes 3–4 years to fruit, so pair it with fast ground cover for income in the meantime.
Planting note Buy a grafted sapling, never a seedling from a pit. Plant it on a raised mound of compost and sand — it dies in waterlogged soil. Keep the trunk base clear and mulch out to the drip line.
Mango
Mangga
The highest-value harvest per tree if you have real space and plan to sell.
Planting note Needs 8–10 m of clearance and full sun. Best for plots larger than 25 sqm or a shared community lot.
Coconut
Niyog
Water, meat, oil, vinegar and mulch from one plant — the backbone of a Filipino homestead.
Planting note Choose a dwarf variety for backyards. Give it the plot's north edge so it does not shade everything.
Banana
Saging
Potassium-rich, harvests all year, and its trunk and leaves become free mulch and compost.
Planting note Plant a clump on the wet, lowest corner. Cut old trunks after fruiting and drop them as mulch.
Malunggay tree form
Malunggay
Let Moringa itself be the one tree — a whole pantry and kitchen in one fast plant, ideal for plots under 9 sqm.
Planting note Only when it is your chosen canopy: let it run to full height. Inside a plot that already has a tree, keep Moringa topped at 2 m as a coppiced leaf shrub instead.
Durian
High market value
Durian
The highest price per kilo of any lowland tropical fruit, and processed further into candy, jam and frozen pulp.
Market Premium fresh sales plus paste and candy. Trade-off: 5–8 years to first harvest and it needs the whole plot's space.
Planting note Grafted seedling only, full sun, deep well-drained soil. Realistic for a 25 sqm plot only if durian is your single tree.
Rambutan
High market value
Rambutan
Fast-selling seasonal fruit that town buyers pay well for by the kilo, and easy to sell at the gate.
Market Strong seasonal fresh price. Trade-off: short season, so plan a preserve or bottled syrup line.
Planting note Grafted trees fruit in 4–5 years. Keep it pruned open to around 5 m for easy picking.
Lanzones
High market value
Lanzones
A reliable premium seller in season with almost no processing needed — pick, bunch and sell.
Market High fresh price in season. Trade-off: slow to bear and needs partial shade when young.
Planting note Plant on the shaded side; young trees burn in full sun. Mulch heavily and keep the soil damp.
Mangosteen
High market value
Mangosteen
Export-grade fruit with a premium price, and the rind is dried and sold for tea and supplements.
Market Premium fresh fruit plus dried rind. Trade-off: the slowest of these trees, 7–10 years from seed.
Planting note Wants deep shade in its first two years and steady rainfall. Best in a shared community lot.
Pili Nut
High market value
Pili
A native premium nut sold roasted, in brittle or as pili oil — one of the highest value-added crops in Bicol.
Market Roasted nuts and confectionery carry very high margins. Trade-off: needs a cracking and roasting setup.
Planting note Very typhoon-tolerant. Female trees bear the nuts, so buy a known grafted female.
Marang
High market value
Marang
A langka relative that fetches more per fruit, with a strong niche buyer base in Mindanao and city markets.
Market Premium fresh niche fruit. Trade-off: it bruises fast, so sell within a day or freeze the pulp.
Planting note Same spacing as jackfruit. Needs consistent moisture and shelter from strong wind.
Cinnamon
High market value
Cinnamon / Canela
True cinnamon bark and dried leaves are premium spices, and the tree is a long-term income anchor.
Market Bark and leaf tea sell for many times the price of common spice blends. Trade-off: 3–4 years before the first bark harvest and bark must be dried and rolled.
Planting note Cinnamomum verum. Start in a large pot, then move into the plot as the one canopy tree. Protect from strong winds.
Clove
High market value
Clove / Clavo de Comer
Dried flower buds are one of the highest-value spices per gram, with a strong wholesale market for spices and oils.
Market Very high value per kilo once dried. Trade-off: slow to mature (6–8 years), needs rich loam and partial shade when young.
Planting note Syzygium aromaticum. Only viable as the one canopy tree in a warm, sheltered microclimate. Harvest unopened buds.
Layer
The Understory Layer
Small trees for the dappled light — in a 25 sqm plot one of these is your single tree, not an addition to it.
Noni Fruit
Bangkoro
A massive immune system modulator, rich in damnacanthal — studied for cellular repair and anti-tumor properties. Highly alkaline, loaded with potassium, and known to reduce chronic joint pain and arthritis inflammation.
Traditional fermented juice
Seal fully ripe, white, pungent fruits in a clean airtight glass jar and leave it in the sun for 2–4 weeks. The fruit breaks down and expresses a dark amber liquid. Strain it and drink 1–2 tablespoons daily on an empty stomach, with honey or calamansi to mask the strong, cheese-like flavor.
More options for this layer
11 swap-ins
These are small trees, so they follow the same rule: one tree per 25 sqm. In a single plot, pick one of these as your anchor instead of a large canopy tree — or grow it in its own plot. They only sit under a bigger canopy when you have more than 25 sqm to work with. This is also the layer with the steadiest cash crops: cacao, coffee, dragon fruit and pomelo.
Calamansi
Kalamansi
Daily vitamin C, and the sourness behind almost every Filipino dish and home cough remedy.
Planting note Happy in a large pot or drum, so it works even on a balcony guild.
Guava
Bayabas
Four to five times the vitamin C of an orange; the boiled leaves are the classic antiseptic wash for wounds.
Planting note Grows anywhere, even in poor soil. Prune yearly to keep it short and fruiting.
Kamias
Kamias
Heavy, reliable fruiting for sinigang souring, plus fruit rubbed on skin for itch and rashes.
Planting note Loves the damp shaded side of the plot. Very tolerant of heavy rain.
Star Apple
Kaimito
Sweet fruit with a good fiber load, and it doubles as a dense windbreak in typhoon country.
Planting note Give it the outer ring — it eventually gets wide.
Dwarf Cacao
High market value
Kakaw
A genuine cash crop from the shade layer: fermented beans and tablea sell locally all year.
Market Fermented beans and hand-made tablea both sell year-round. Trade-off: fermenting and drying takes a week of attention.
Planting note Needs 50% shade, so plant it once your canopy has leafed out.
Coffee
High market value
Kape
The classic shade-loving income plant for upland barangays; beans store and sell well.
Market Robusta and excelsa beans store for months and sell at a premium once roasted. Trade-off: needs pulping, drying and roasting.
Planting note Robusta for lowlands, Arabica above 800 m. Plant 1.5–2 m apart in dappled light.
Mulberry
High market value
Moras
Anthocyanin-rich fruit and leaves brewed as a tea traditionally used for blood sugar.
Market Fresh berries and dried leaves for tea both fetch premium prices at health-food markets. Trade-off: short berry shelf life and birds compete for the fruit.
Planting note Grows from a simple cutting and fruits in the first year. Very hard to kill.
Dragon Fruit
High market value
Saniata
One of the best price-per-square-metre crops in the lowlands — a vertical cactus on a single concrete post.
Market High fresh price plus juice, jam and dried slices. Trade-off: needs a post and trellis frame up front.
Planting note Full sun, very dry-tolerant. One post holds 4 cuttings and starts fruiting in 12–18 months.
Pomelo
High market value
Suha
Large fruit that sells by the piece rather than the kilo, so one tree returns real money each season.
Market Priced per fruit, and the rind is candied. Trade-off: fruit fly control is essential or the crop is lost.
Planting note Grafted, full sun, 4–5 m clearance. Bag the young fruit to stop fruit fly damage.
Sugar Apple
High market value
Atis
Small tree, quick to bear, and a dependable premium fruit at local markets.
Market Good fresh price, and pulp freezes well for shakes. Trade-off: very short shelf life once ripe.
Planting note Stays around 4 m, fruits in 3 years, and tolerates dry spells well.
Chico
Chico
Steady, heavy bearer with almost no pest problems — the low-risk income tree of this layer.
Market Moderate fresh price but very reliable volume, and it dries into sweet chips.
Planting note Very typhoon- and salt-tolerant. Good for coastal plots.
Layer
The Shrub & Vine Layer
Soil and body builders — nitrogen fixers and coppiced leaf shrubs that feed you and the garden.
Moringa (coppiced shrub)
Malunggay
The ultimate tropical superfood: more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk, and quercetin to lower blood pressure. Increases breastmilk production in lactating mothers and naturally detoxifies the liver.
Keep it a shrub
Top the main stem once it reaches 2 m and keep cutting it back. Harvested as leaves rather than grown for height, Moringa stays a shrub — so it does not count against the one-tree-per-25-sqm rule.
Leaves
Strip from the woody stems and add during the last 2 minutes of soups like Tinola or Suam na Mais to preserve vitamins.
Superfood powder
Air-dry fresh leaves in the shade for 3 days until crisp, crush to a fine green powder, and add a teaspoon to morning tea or juice.
Pigeon Pea
Kadyos
A major source of plant-based protein, dietary fiber and folate (Vitamin B9), essential for cellular growth and heart health. Helps eliminate bad cholesterol (LDL) from the arteries.
Boiled beans
Harvest plump pods, shell the green or purple beans, and simmer with soured broth, sweet potato tops and pork or fish for the classic Ilonggo KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, Langka).
Winged Bean
Sigarilyas
One of the highest sources of calcium among all legumes, with abundant Vitamin C for immunity and Vitamin E to protect skin health.
Stir-fry
Slice the crisp four-angled pods crosswise into stars. Stir-fry with garlic, onion, chili and a splash of soy or patis for 3–5 minutes so they keep their crunch.
More options for this layer
18 swap-ins
The non-negotiable rule is at least one nitrogen fixer. Beyond that, swap freely — every option here feeds both the soil and the pot. Anything woody in this layer stays a shrub: keep it cut back to around 2 m so it never becomes a second tree. It is also where the best price-per-square-metre crops live: vanilla, black pepper, passion fruit, roselle, siling labuyo and hibiscus all climb or coppice rather than sprawl. Berries belong here too — bignay, tagpo and aratiles all hold as coppiced lowland shrubs, while the true mountain berries are flagged as cool-climate only.
Madre de Cacao
Kakawate
The strongest chop-and-drop fertilizer in the tropics, and the leaves make a traditional anti-mange animal wash.
Planting note Not for eating. Plant from a thick cutting on the border and cut it back every 2–3 months.
Katuray
Katuray
Fixes nitrogen fast and gives edible flowers rich in iron for guisado and salads.
Planting note Very fast-growing. Keep it topped so it stays a shrub rather than a tree.
Cowpea / Yardlong Bean
Sitaw
Protein and folate within 60 days — the quickest confidence win for a first-time grower.
Planting note Needs a simple bamboo trellis or lets it climb the canopy trunk.
Lima Bean
Patani
Dense plant protein and iron, and the dried beans store for months without a refrigerator.
Planting note Drought-hardy once established — a good choice for dry, exposed plots.
Chayote
Sayote
One vine feeds a family: shoots, fruit and roots are all edible, and it is very low in calories.
Planting note Prefers cooler or upland areas. Give it an overhead trellis.
Bitter Gourd
Ampalaya
The best-known Filipino plant for blood sugar management, plus strong vitamin A and C.
Planting note Grows up any fence or net. Harvest young for less bitterness.
Peanut
Mani
Fixes nitrogen at ground level while producing storable protein and cooking oil.
Planting note Doubles as living mulch between rows. Loves loose, sandy soil.
Vanilla
High market value
Vanilla
The highest value crop you can grow on 1 sqm of shaded ground — cured pods sell by the gram, not the kilo.
Market Cured beans and extract are the top margin in this list. Trade-off: every flower must be hand-pollinated and curing takes months.
Planting note A shade vine: let it climb a kakawate or coconut trunk in 60–70% shade. Pods after 2–3 years.
Black Pepper
High market value
Paminta
A permanent spice vine on a tree you already have, and dried peppercorns store for years without spoiling.
Market Dried peppercorns keep indefinitely and sell all year. Trade-off: 3 years before a real harvest.
Planting note Plant one vine at the base of the canopy trunk or a kakawate post. Keep the roots mulched and damp.
Passion Fruit
High market value
Granadilla
Fast premium fruit on a fence line — bears within a year and juice concentrate sells better than the fruit.
Market Bottled juice and syrup fetch far more than raw fruit. Trade-off: vines tire after 3–4 years and need replacing.
Planting note Needs a strong fence or net trellis in full sun. Prune hard after each flush.
Roselle
High market value
Roselle
The calyces dry into a deep red tea and jam that health-food buyers pay a premium for.
Market Dried calyx tea, syrup and jam are all high-margin. Trade-off: harvest is a single yearly window.
Planting note Direct-sow at the sunny edge. Harvest calyces while still fleshy, then dry in the shade.
Bird's Eye Chili
High market value
Siling Labuyo
A tiny, high-heat chili that commands a premium price per kilo and can be sold fresh, dried, bottled or as chili-garlic oil.
Market Fresh, dried and processed chili all sell above the price of common long chilies. Trade-off: smaller plants and lower total volume than long chili.
Planting note Plant in 30 cm containers or at the sunny edge. Harvest while still green for markets, or fully red for drying.
Hibiscus
High market value
Gumamela
Cooling vitamin-C tea from the flowers, a pollinator magnet that improves fruit set on nearby crops, and soft fast-composting biomass for the guild.
Market Dried flower tea and wellness buyers pay a niche premium. Trade-off: low volume per shrub, so treat it as a steady side-line rather than a main crop.
Planting note Coppice to 2 m. Harvest fresh flowers in the morning and dry them in shade for tea. Place beside a nitrogen fixer, not in place of one.
Bignay
High market value
Bignay / Binayuyo
Trailing clusters of tiny berries that ripen green to red to deep purple-black — a cranberry-like sweet-sour fruit that lowland plots can actually carry.
Market Berry wine, jam, juice and dried berries all fetch premium prices, and the leaves sell as tea. Trade-off: the berries ripen unevenly, so harvest runs over weeks.
Planting note Keep it coppiced to 2 m or it becomes a second tree. Full to half sun on the sunny edge, and prune hard after fruiting.
Tagpo / Shoebutton
Tagpo (Ardisia)
A sturdy, glossy-leaved tropical shrub with hanging clusters of small berries that turn red to shiny black — edible, bird-friendly and nearly indestructible.
Market Not a high-value crop — treat it as a free hedge, windbreak and wildlife shrub that also feeds the household.
Planting note Very salt- and drought-tolerant. Plant on the guild edge or windbreak line and trim once a year to keep it dense.
Aratiles
Aratiles / Mansanitas
The fastest berry shrub of all: masses of small sweet red berries with a cotton-candy flavour, loved by children, plus quick light shade for young guilds.
Market Fruit is too soft to ship, so value is household snacking, jam and syrup — not wholesale.
Planting note Cut back hard to 2 m so it stays a shrub rather than a tree. Self-seeds freely; weed out volunteers from the paths.
Wild Raspberry
Sampinit / Pinit
The prized foraged berry of the Cordillera and Mt. Apo — bright red, tart-sweet fruit on a thin prickly bramble.
Market Fresh berries and jam command strong prices in mountain towns. Trade-off: this is a cool-climate plant, so expect weak, shy fruiting in hot lowland Guimaras.
Planting note Cool-climate only — grow it as a trial in the shadiest, coolest corner and keep the roots heavily mulched. Not a reliable lowland crop.
Philippine Blueberry
Ayusip / Gatmo
A native tropical blueberry bush with small dark purple-black berries — the closest thing to true blueberries that grows in the country.
Market A genuine novelty berry where it grows. Trade-off: it is a high-altitude species and will not fruit properly in the lowlands.
Planting note Highland plant only — listed so you know it exists, not as a Guimaras recommendation. For a lowland 'berry' fix, plant bignay, aratiles or cape gooseberry instead.
Layer
The Ground Cover Layer
The living blanket that keeps the soil cool and never naked.
Winter Melon
Kondol
Highly alkaline and 96% structured water. In TCM and Ayurveda it is the premier fruit for cooling internal heat, flushing kidney toxins, reducing water retention and soothing the stomach lining.
Cleansing soup
Peel the tough green skin, scrape out the seeds, cube the white flesh, and simmer in a clear ginger broth for 15 minutes until clear and tender.
Alkalizing juice
Run the raw white flesh through a juicer for a sugar-free morning detox drink.
Japanese Purple Sweet Potato
Imo / Satsumaimo
The deep purple color comes from anthocyanins, a powerhouse antioxidant that protects brain health, improves memory and reduces heart disease risk. Slow-burning complex carbohydrates that avoid blood sugar spikes.
The tuber
Wash well, then steam or bake whole with the skin on for 30–45 minutes. The skin preserves fiber and minerals.
The vine tips (talbos)
Blanch the tender purple-green tips for exactly 60 seconds, drain, and toss with calamansi juice and bagoong for a nutrient-dense side salad.
More options for this layer
10 swap-ins
Never leave soil naked. Any of these will carpet the open floor — choose whichever your family will actually harvest and eat. If you want the floor to earn as well as cover, add one premium seasonal line: watermelon in the dry months, cape gooseberry for cafes, or kasubha petals dried by the packet.
Squash
Kalabasa
Huge leaves shade the soil, and the flesh, shoots and flowers are all loaded with vitamin A.
Planting note Let it sprawl into the sunniest corner. One plant covers several square metres.
Water Spinach
Kangkong
Iron-rich greens you can cut every 10 days — the fastest daily vegetable in the guild.
Planting note Thrives in the wettest, most waterlogged spot where nothing else will grow.
Sweet Potato (orange or white)
Kamote
Same living-mulch job as the purple Imo, with more vitamin A and easier local sourcing.
Planting note Plant vine cuttings 40 cm apart on loose ridges. Eat the talbos while the tubers form.
Taro
Gabi
Resistant starch that steadies blood sugar, plus edible leaves and stalks for laing.
Planting note For the low, damp, shaded ground where water collects.
Cassava
Kamoteng Kahoy
The most reliable calorie crop in poor soil — real food security when harvests fail.
Planting note Grows from a stem cutting. Always boil or cook thoroughly, never eat it raw.
Peanut Grass
Arachis pintoi
A permanent nitrogen-fixing living carpet that suppresses weeds without any weeding.
Planting note Not for eating — plant it in paths and edges where you want zero maintenance.
Malabar Spinach
High market value
Alugbati
Thick, cooling, iron- and calcium-rich leaves that keep producing through the hottest months.
Market Tied into clean, uniform bundles it sells above loose greens at any wet market. Trade-off: income is small per plant, so it only works as a premium ground-cover line.
Planting note Semi-vining: let it crawl the ground or climb a low string.
Cape Gooseberry
High market value
Lubi-lubi / Aratiles-berry
The lowland answer to strawberries — a small tart berry that fruits in months and sells as a premium novelty.
Market Fresh punnets for cafes plus jam and dried berries. Trade-off: small fruit, so income comes from volume of plants.
Planting note Direct-sow in the sunniest open ground. Fruits 3–4 months from seed and self-seeds after that.
Watermelon
High market value
Pakwan
A dry-season cash crop that covers bare soil while it grows, then sells by the piece at a good price.
Market Strong summer price per fruit, and the rind is pickled. Trade-off: one crop per dry season only.
Planting note Plant at the start of the dry months in full sun. Put dry straw under each fruit to stop rot.
Safflower
High market value
Kasubha
The local saffron substitute: dried petals sell by the small packet at a very high price per gram.
Market Dried petals for arroz caldo and tea. Trade-off: tiny yields, so it is a side income not a main crop.
Planting note Sow in the dry season in full sun. Pick the petals daily as flowers open and dry them in the shade.
Layer
The Herb, Spice & Underground Layer
The medicine cabinet: teas, condiments and healing roots.
Chili Pepper
Siling Labuyo
Rich in capsaicin, which triggers thermogenesis to burn fat, kills harmful gut bacteria, clears sinus congestion instantly, and releases endorphins to boost mood and relieve pain.
Sawsawan
Crush raw chilis into coconut vinegar or calamansi juice with fish sauce for an immune-boosting daily dipping sauce.
Holy Basil & Thai Basil
Tulsi
Tulsi is a premier adaptogen: it lowers cortisol, clears the respiratory tract, calms an anxious mind and carries strong antibacterial properties.
De-stress tea
Steep 5–10 fresh leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes and drink warm to settle the mind before sleep.
Lemongrass
Tanglad
Contains citral, which reduces uric acid levels (preventing gout), relieves bloating, promotes healthy urination and cleanses the digestive tract.
Detox brew
Crush the white bulbous bases of 3 stalks to release the oils, boil in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes, and drink warm or chilled.
Ginger, Turmeric & Galangal
Luya, Luyang Dilaw, Langkuas
Turmeric carries curcumin, the ultimate natural anti-inflammatory and joint healer. Ginger carries gingerol, which stops nausea and speeds stomach emptying. Galangal carries galangin, which targets harmful fungi and digestive pathogens.
Golden Salabat healing tea
Thinly slice fresh ginger and turmeric and boil together for 15 minutes. Add a pinch of black pepper — vital, as it increases curcumin absorption by up to 2,000% — and serve with a squeeze of calamansi.
Indian Borage & Mint
Kalabo / Oregano
Kalabo is the traditional Philippine powerhouse for clearing heavy chest coughs, bronchitis and sore throats thanks to its high carvacrol content. Mint relaxes the digestive tract to stop gas and bloating.
Cough reliever
Wash 3–5 thick Kalabo leaves and express the juice by squeezing them firmly or using a mortar and pestle. Take the green juice by the spoonful, or mix with warm water and honey for a sore throat.
More options for this layer
15 swap-ins
This is your family medicine cabinet, so build it around your household's actual complaints — coughs, joints, sleep, stomach — and the flavours you cook with. It is also the highest-margin layer once you dry and mill: turmeric powder, cardamom, stevia leaf, ubi powder and sacha inchi all sell for several times their fresh price.
Blumea
Sambong
DOH-recognised herbal medicine, brewed for kidney stones and as a natural diuretic.
Planting note Grows from a cutting on any sunny edge. Harvest and dry the leaves for tea.
Lagundi
Lagundi
The DOH-approved cough and asthma remedy — the single most useful medicine shrub to own.
Planting note Plant one on the boundary as a hedge. Boil 5 mature leaves per cup.
Tarragon
Tarragon
Chewed fresh in the provinces for joint pain, cholesterol and blood sugar support.
Planting note Roots from a cutting in a week. Keep it in dappled shade near the kitchen door.
Pandan
Pandan
Aroma for rice and desserts, and the boiled leaves are a traditional drink for cramps and fever.
Planting note Clumping and shade-tolerant — perfect for the dark corner under the canopy.
Gotu Kola
Takip-kohol
A memory and circulation tonic that also speeds wound healing; grows as a shade ground carpet.
Planting note Keep it damp and shaded at 2.5 m from the trunk, alongside the ginger family.
Insulin Plant
Insulin Plant
Widely grown across the Philippines as a daily tea for blood sugar management.
Planting note Divide the clump each year to give starts to neighbours. Tolerates partial shade.
Garlic & Onion chives
Bawang / Kutsay
Everyday antimicrobials that lower blood pressure — and the crop you would otherwise buy weekly.
Planting note Shallow-rooted, so they fit in pots and sacks along the sunny border.
Ginger family extras
Tanglad, Zerumbet
Same shade-loving roots and rhizomes as your core trio, but different medicine and flavour.
Planting note Plant in the same shaded 2.5 m ring, under a thick layer of dried-leaf mulch.
Cardamom
High market value
Cardamom
One of the most expensive spices per gram, and it thrives in the shade of the canopy trunk.
Market Green pods and dried seeds sell at a very high price per gram once cured. Trade-off: needs 2–3 years before harvest and every pod must be hand-picked.
Planting note Elettaria cardamomum. Plant in the 2.5 m shaded ring, keep the soil moist and rich, and harvest before pods split.
Turmeric for powder
High market value
Luyang Dilaw
Raw rhizomes are cheap, but washed, sliced, dried and milled turmeric powder sells for several times the fresh price.
Market Powder in sealed jars is the easiest high-margin product in the guild. Trade-off: 9–10 months to harvest.
Planting note Plant a full shaded bed rather than a few clumps if you intend to sell powder.
Stevia
High market value
Stevia
Dried leaf sells as a natural sugar substitute to diabetic and health-food buyers at a premium per gram.
Market Dried leaf and leaf powder. Trade-off: small plants, so you need many of them for real volume.
Planting note Roots from cuttings. Keep in half sun near the kitchen and pinch the tops to bush it out.
Sacha Inchi
High market value
Sacha Inchi
An omega-3 seed vine sold roasted or pressed for oil — a genuine specialty crop with few local growers.
Market Roasted seeds and cold-pressed oil. Trade-off: you need a niche or online buyer, not the wet market.
Planting note Climbing vine for a fence or trellis in full sun. First seeds in 8–10 months, then continuous.
Purple Yam
High market value
Ubi
Fresh tubers are ordinary, but ubi powder and halaya paste are premium products with year-round demand.
Market Halaya and dried powder both carry strong margins. Trade-off: 8–10 months and a trellis for the vine.
Planting note Plant tuber pieces at the start of the rains and give the vine a simple string trellis.
Arrowroot
Uraro
Milled into arrowroot starch for cookies and thickening — a shelf-stable product from a shade-tolerant root.
Market Starch and uraro cookies sell as heritage products. Trade-off: washing and settling the starch is laborious.
Planting note Grows in the shaded ring with taro and ginger. Harvest at 10–11 months when the leaves die back.
Yacon
Yacon (apple of the earth)
A crisp, juicy tuber eaten raw like a pear. Its sweetness is mostly inulin and FOS rather than sugar, so it is gentle on blood sugar and feeds gut bacteria — a genuinely useful root for a household managing diabetes. The leaves also brew as a tea.
Planting note Plant crown or rhizome divisions, never seed. It stands 1.5–2 m with big leaves, so give it a sunny edge rather than deep canopy shade. Lift the tubers at 6–8 months once the top growth dies back, then sun them a few days to sweeten. Best in cooler uplands (Benguet-type conditions) — in hot lowlands it makes plenty of leaf but small tubers.
