Lacking the precipitation levels to sustain an edible forest, the city of Helena, Mt., is planning to upgrade one of their park's landscapes by making it an edible meadow, or "eddow".

The concept of planting an "edible forest" has gained in popularity recently with examples of this type of sustainable landscape appearing across the country.

Developing them in areas that that are less than suitable for a forest ecosystem creates challenges, which is being realized in Montana's capital city.

The solution, as reported by Marga Lincoln in the Helena Independent Record, is to adapt the model to become more of an edible meadow, or "eddow".

One of Helena's city parks has been targeted for just such a landscape renovation and is receiving assistance from David Jacke, an ecological designer who specializes in this area of landscaping. But given that the town has a semi-arid climate and averages only 11.3 inches of precipitation per year, an edible forest might be difficult to sustain.

Edible plant species that thrive in Helena's ecosystem and climate, and could potentially end up in the park's new landscape, reportedly include currants, elderberries, sunflowers, prairie turnips, gooseberries, pear and plum trees.

Before the new landscape can become a reality, there are challenges to overcome. For starters, even though the city allocated $13,000 for an irrigation system, more funding needs to be found.

And once the installation is funded, soil that may have been contaminated by industrial use will need to be removed and replaced before planting begins.