Crops and Wild Plants
Jump to a Section: Spring Crops, Summer Crops, Fall Crops, Hothouse Only Crops or Other NotesThere are many different crops you can grow as well as wild plants you can harvest in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. The crops and wild plants are different every season and if you still have crops planted they will die when the season changes.
The profit per day is a number I calculated to compare different crops to see which crop is the best investment since they all grow at different rates, sell for different amounts and the seeds cost different amounts too.
To calculate the profit per day I took one 3×3 square of land in the videogame and calculated how much gold you could earn by planting the seeds repeatedly if they didn’t grow back or by repeatedly harvesting them if they did grow back. I took the total revenue at the end of the season minus the expense for seeds and then divided it by 30 days.
This number takes into consideration factors such as having extra days at the end of the season where there isn’t enough time for the crop to grow back and the fact that you can’t reach the middle plant of crops that grow back until you cut down the rest at the end of the season in this videogame.
This number also assumes you have a watering can that can water a 3×3 square so you can reach that middle plant.
All the wild plants can be found on the mountain, near the hot springs or in the area around Gotz’s house.
Spring Crops
| Seed Price | Selling Price | Days to Grow | Days to Re-Grow | Profit Per Day | Where to Buy/Find | |
| Turnip | 120g | 60g | 5 | – | 84g | Supermarket |
| Potato | 150g | 80g | 8 | – | 57g | Supermarket |
| Cucumber | 200g | 60g | 10 | 5 | 75g | Supermarket |
| Cabbage | 500g | 250g | 15 | – | 117g | Won’s Shop |
| Strawberry | 150g | 30g | 9 | 2 | 84g | Supermarket* |
| Toy Flower | 300g | – | 12 | – | – | Won’s Shop |
| Moondrop Flowers | 300g | – | 6 | – | – | Won’s Shop^ |
| Grass | 500g | – | 11 | 7 | – | Supermarket |
| Bamboo Shoot | – | 50g | – | – | 150g | Grows in the wild |
| Blue Grass | – | 100g | – | – | 200g | Grows in the wild |
* The Strawberry seeds become available after you ship 100 turnips, 100 potatoes, 100 cucumbers and 100 cabbages.
^ During the spring if you have at least 15,000 affection with Karen she’ll come by and give you some Moondrop seeds. After they bloom Won will start selling Moondrop seeds.
In terms of profit your best investment during the spring in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature is to go with cabbage seeds. While you can only plant two of them in the same space in one season, they ultimately bring in the most profit per day. If you’re starting off and can’t afford cabbage yet then go with turnips. Cucumber’s might seem like a good investment in this videogame since they grow back but when you do the math they end up earning you less by the end of the season with the same amount of space than turnips.
Every day during the spring you can find 3 bamboo shoots and 2 blue grasses in the wild. In your first year especially you should collect these every day.
Summer Crops
| Seed Price | Selling Price | Days to Grow | Days to Re-Grow | Profit Per Day | Where to Buy/Find | |
| Onion | 150g | 80g | 8 | – | 57g | Supermarket |
| Tomato | 200g | 60g | 10 | 3 | 107g | Supermarket |
| Corn | 300g | 100g | 15 | 3 | 153g | Supermarket |
| Pineapple | 1,000g | 500g | 21 | 5 | 250g | Won’s Shop |
| Pumpkin | 500g | 250g | 15 | – | 117g | Supermarket* |
| Pink Cat Flower | 200g | – | 6 | – | – | Won’s Shop |
| Grass | 500g | – | 11 | 7 | – | Supermarket |
| Red Grass | – | 100g | – | – | 200g | Grows in the wild |
* The pumpkin seeds become available after you ship 100 onions, 100 tomatos, 100 corn and 100 pineapples.
In terms of making the most profit with your space during the summer in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature you should plant pineapples. Even though they take almost all season to grow and you can only get two harvests out of them their high selling price is enough to make them the best investment in this videogame. If you can’t afford them then your next best bet is to go with corn.
Every day during the summer you can find 2 red grasses growing in the wild.
Fall Crops
| Seed Price | Selling Price | Days to Grow | Days to Re-Grow | Profit Per Day | Where to Buy/Find | |
| Carrot | 300g | 120g | 8 | – | 78g | Supermarket |
| Eggplant | 120g | 80g | 10 | 3 | 148g | Supermarket |
| Sweet Potato | 300g | 120g | 6 | 3 | 282g | Supermarket |
| Green Pepper | 150g | 40g | 8 | 2 | 252g | Won’s Shop |
| Spinach | 200g | 80g | 6 | – | 87g | Supermarket* |
| Magic Red Flower | 600g | – | 10 | – | – | Won’s Shop |
| Grass | 500g | – | 11 | 7 | – | Supermarket |
| Apples | – | 50g | – | – | 150g | The tree on your farm |
| Green Grass | – | 100g | – | – | 200g | Grows in the wild |
| Wild Grapes | – | 50g | – | – | 100g | Grows in the wild |
| Mushroom | – | 70g | – | – | 280g | Grows in the wild |
| Poisonous Mushroom | – | 100g | – | – | 100g | Grows in the wild |
| Truffle | – | 500g | – | – | 500g | Grows in the wild |
* The spinach seeds become available after you ship 100 carrots, 100 eggplants, 100 sweet potatoes and 100 green peppers.
On rare ocassions a red coloured Red Magic Flower (they’re usually blue hence the confusion) will grow and this can be sold for 200g.
By far your best investment in the fall of Harvest Moon: Back to Nature is to grow sweet potatoes. These aren’t too expensive either so you should easily be able to plant a lot.
Every day during the fall in this videogame you can find 3 apples by the tree on your farm, and in the wild you can find 2 green grasses, 4 mushrooms, 1 poisonous mushroom, 2 wild grapes and 1 truffle.
Make sure you grab that truffle every day and you’ll get 15,000g by the end of the season.
Hothouse Only
| Seed Price | Selling Price | Days to Grow | Days to Re-Grow | Profit Per Day | Where to Buy | |
| Orange Cup Fruit | 1,000g | 60g | 8 | – | -46g | Won’s Shop |
Orange Cup Fruits don’t seem like a good way to make money at all in Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. You probably only want to grow these to give as gifts.
Other notes
If you plant at least one 3 x 3 square of any flowers bees will come to your farm and make a hive in your apple tree. From then on you’ll be able to collect a jar of honey from the hive every day which sells for 50g. Give a jar to Louis and he’ll tell you the bees are of a rare species and the honey you collect will then sell for 60g.
If you plant 90+ of any kind of flower Anna will come to your farm and ask your permission to pick all of them. She’ll take all your flowers but give you a power berry.