数据库与植物覆盖范围
未来植物（Plants For A Future，简称 PFAF）是一家位于英国的慈善机构，长期维护一个免费的食用、药用以及其他有用植物的在线数据库，收录的物种数量已经超过 8000 个。每一条植物条目都按照相同的字段组织，包括普通名、学名、所属科、对应的 USDA 耐寒分区、已知的毒性提示、原生分布、可食用性评分、药用评分、其他用途评分，以及养护和繁殖相关的说明。数据库持续在更新，最近几年陆续加入了食物林植物、碳农业作物、伴生植物、食用盆栽植物这些新的用途分类，原生植物检索也作为一个独立入口开放。
食物林与可持续园艺方向
把植物资料跟食物林（forest garden）这种生态种植方式对接起来，是 PFAF 这些年的工作重心之一。食物林模仿自然森林的分层结构，由乔木、灌木、草本层和攀缘植物组成，长期依靠多年生植物同时提供食物、固碳并支撑生物多样性。在康沃尔郡（Cornwall）有一个早于慈善机构本身的原始保育和示范场地，目前仍由创始人 Ken Fern 的夫人 Addy 和一小组志愿者在打理；想实地参与的人可以直接联系他们去现场做志愿。
出版物与食物林基金
PFAF 自 2013 年起开始按用途和气候分区出版参考书，最新的一套《食物林植物系列》分三卷：2021 年出版的《温带食物林 500 种植物》、2024 年出版的《地中海与干旱条件食物林 350 种植物》，以及专门介绍热带和亚热带食物林的那一本。其中 2021 年的温带卷一直是 PFAF 销量最好的一本。2021 年 PFAF 还启动了食物林基金（Food Forest Fund，简称 FFF），面向符合条件的社区食物林项目提供启动资金，资助过的项目进展会以图文方式发布在 PFAF 的博客上。
数据库检索与原生植物
PFAF 数据库可以通过普通名、学名、关键词、所属科、原生境来检索，也可以按字母顺序或按用途（食用、药用、其他）浏览。原生植物检索是一个单独的入口，能按国家或州一级筛选特定地区原生的有用植物，对本地食物林设计、修复项目和寻找本地适配物种的园艺爱好者比较实用。原生植物条目同样带可食用性、药用价值和其他用途的评分，也会标注是否属于固氮植物、树篱、地被植物或适合食物林和碳农业等特殊用途。
联络与办公地址
PFAF 是在英格兰和威尔士注册的慈善公司（慈善注册号 1057719，公司号 3204567），注册办公地址位于英国英格兰西南部。四位总管（trustees）分别是 Chris Marsh、Paul Harding、Ed Sears 和 George Sobol，日常事务由 Chris Marsh 负责。具体联系方式通过该会官方主页的联系页发布；网站维护、数据库更新和新书出版主要依靠小额个人捐款和售书收入维持。
Database and Plant Coverage
Plants For A Future (PFAF) is a UK-based charity that maintains a free online database of edible, medicinal, and otherwise useful plants, currently covering more than 8,000 species. Each entry is organised around the same set of fields, including common and scientific names, family, USDA hardiness, known hazards, native range, edibility and medicinal ratings, other uses, and cultivation and propagation notes. The database is updated on an ongoing basis; new use categories such as food forest plants, carbon farming crops, companion planting, and edible houseplants have been added in recent years, and a separate native plant search is provided as a standalone entry point.
Food Forests and Sustainable Gardening
A core focus of the organisation is linking plant data to the food forest / forest garden approach to growing food. Food forests imitate the layered structure of natural woodland, using perennial plants across canopy, shrub, herb, and climber layers to produce food, sequester carbon, and support biodiversity at the same time. An original demonstration and seed conservation site in Cornwall, England, predates the charity itself and is still maintained by Addy Fern (the founder’s wife) along with a small group of volunteers; visitors can volunteer on site.
Publications and Food Forest Fund
PFAF has been publishing reference books since 2013. The most recent series covers food forest plants in three volumes: a temperate-zone volume with 500 plants published in 2021, a Mediterranean and dry-conditions volume with 350 plants published in 2024, and a tropical and sub-tropical volume. The 2021 temperate book remains the charity’s best-selling title. In 2021 PFAF also launched the Food Forest Fund (FFF) to provide seed grants for new community food forest projects; progress reports from funded projects appear on the PFAF blog as photo essays and short articles.
Database Search and Native Plants
The PFAF database can be browsed alphabetically, by plant family, by habitat, or by intended use (edible, medicinal, or other). A separate native plant search lets users filter for species native to a particular country or US state, which is useful for permaculture designers, restoration projects, and gardeners looking for locally adapted species. Native plant entries carry ratings for edibility, medicinal value, and other uses, plus special-use tags such as nitrogen fixer, hedge, ground cover, or suitability for food forests and carbon farming.
Contact and Registered Office
Plants For A Future is a charitable company registered in England and Wales (Charity No. 1057719, Company No. 3204567). The registered office is in south-west England. The four trustees are Chris Marsh, Paul Harding, Ed Sears, and George Sobol; day-to-day enquiries are handled through the official website’s contact page. The website, database, and new publications are funded mainly through small individual donations and book sales.
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