All Zone 4 (or hardier) Plants
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296 products
History: Little is known about Muscadet de Dieppe aside from the fact it originated near the port of Dieppe in Normandy, France. It was commonly grown in the area since 1750 at least.
Why We Grow It: Considering this French cider variety was popular in an area known for its cider, this makes for a classic cider apple. The juice is bittersweet and aromatic which is excellent in both single-variety ciders and cider blends.
Species: Amelanchier alnifolia (aka Western Serviceberry)
History: Martin was grown by Dieter Martin in Saskatchewan. He selected this variety for its large berries and uniform ripening time.
Why We Grow It: Martin produces deep purple berries that are both flavourful and juicy! The berries are on the larger size and ripen at more or less the same time, making them a good choice for mechanized picking.
History: North Star sour cherries were created by the University of Minnesota as part of an effort to create varieties that are more resistant to the cold. They were introduced in 1950 and recently have been growing in popularity as a backyard variety.
Why We Grow It: North Star is a sour cherry with bright red skin which darkens as it ripens. It has an excellent flavour. The trees have a compact and weeping growth habit, making them an attractive addition to your yard whether in bloom in spring or bearing fruit in the summer. They are also self-pollinating, very hardy, and resistant to leaf spot and brown rot.
Check our our blog post with some tasty sour cherry recipes!
Species: Corylus heterophylla, C. americana, or C. heterophylla x C. americana
History: These hazelnut seedlings are grown from seed sourced from an open-pollinated, mixed hazelnut orchard at Grimo Nut Nursery. Since the orchard is open-pollinated, the resulting seedlings may be Asian hazelnuts, American hazelnuts, or hybrids of the two!
Why We Grow It: With such random cross-pollination, each seedling has the chance to be quite unique! Regardless of what you get, they will produce nuts that are excellent for a variety of uses!
History: Bulmer's Norman was imported from Normandy, France to England in the early 1900s by the cider making company H.P. Bulmer. This variety didn't even have a name when it arrived but quickly grew in popularity for use in making cider. This apple has since fallen out of the limelight and is primarily used for grafting other varieties onto its sturdy trunk.
Why We Grow It: Although less popular these days, this variety boasts vigorous growth, decent disease resistance, and a surprising tolerance for cold. This conical, green apple produces a bittersweet juice and is high in tannins.
History: Shamrock apples were raised by K. Lapins at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in 1970 and released in 1986.
Why We Grow It: This is a Canadian apple for all you Granny Smith lovers! Although a bit sweeter than Granny Smith, Shamrock apples still have some tartness and are hardy enough to survive in Canadian climates. They even resemble Granny Smith with their light green skin and white flesh.
Photos courtesy of Shannon McInnis!
History: The St. Lawrence apple was discovered in the Montreal area as a seedling of a Snow apple, the most popular variety in Quebec at the time. By 1835, these apples were commonly grown in the area where they were popular for fresh eating and cooking but have since faded into obscurity.
Why We Grow It: Although less popular now, these apples are still good for eating and baking. The boldly striped red skin also makes the fruit very attractive. The tree bears good crops each year and is relatively hardy.
History: John McIntosh planted several apple seedlings upon settling in Dundela, Ontario. From these, he discovered the famous McIntosh apple as a seedling in his orchard. The family began selling the fruit and grafted McIntosh trees in 1835 and in 1870 it entered commercial production. By the 1900s it was one of the most popular apples in northeastern North America, although its popularity waned over time as varieties such as Gala were introduced. Nonetheless, McIntosh apples still remain some of the most popular in North America. The original tree died in 1906 after being damaged by a house fire and a commemorative plaque marks where it stood. The apple has since been named Canada's national fruit. The Macintosh line of Apple computers was also named after this variety.
Why We Grow It: For fans of Canadian heritage apples in particular, this one is hard to beat. To the best of our knowledge, this is the original strain of McIntosh. Aside from its storied past, McIntosh apples boast soft, slightly tart flesh with high Vitamin C content. It is excellent for fresh eating and making applesauce.
Species: Vaccinium angustifolium
History: Top Hat lowbush blueberry was released by the Michigan State University Agricultural Experiment Station some time before the mid to late 1970s.
Why We Grow It: This variety produces small berries with a rich sweet-tart flavour. It is a popular pick for bonsai and container gardening. Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!
Species: Ribes rubrum
History: These red currants come from the Becker family homestead near Wellesley, Ontario where we are located. This is a great way to try something truly local!
Why We Grow It: In our experience, Becker red currants are reliable and productive. The fruit produced by Becker red currants are larger than those produced by Red Lake and make a wonderful juice. They can also be used for cooking and baking, such as the tarts made by Steph that are pictured here!
History: The exact origins of Hyslop are unclear but it was discovered sometime in the early 1800s around Boston by the Hyslop family who helped develop the area. This apple was popular for over a century but in recent years has fallen into obscurity.
Why We Grow It: Although definitely not recommended for fresh eating, Hyslop crabapples have a sub-acid, astringent flavour and are great in cider blends. They are also known as being one of the best apples for jellies. The tree is quite attractive with blue tinged blossoms in the spring and brilliant red/purple fruit in the fall.
Species: Vitis vinifera x V. rupestris x V. ripraria x V. labrusca
History: Osceola Muscat/ES.8-2-43 was bred by renowned grape breeder Elmer Swenson as part of his effort to mix French and North American grapes to create high-quality varieties that grow well in cooler climates. Osceola Muscat is a cross between four different species: Common grape (Vitis vinifera), Vitis rupestris, Riverbank grape (Vitis riparia) and Fox grape (Vitis labrusca). Swenson bred it on his farm near Osceola, Wisconsin and in 2010 the variety was named after the town. The grape's alternate name, Muscat de Swenson, is named after Swenson himself who passed away in 2004.
Why We Grow It: Osceola Muscat produces loose clusters of seeded, intensely aromatic grapes with notes of peach and apricot. The small-medium, thin skinned fruit is suitable for fresh eating or juice and wine. This is one of the hardiest 'muscat' varieties available and is relatively vigorous.
2025 Staff Favourite
Grandma Barbara-Anne Rhubarb is Steph's favourite this year! In her experience, “it makes a really pretty pink juice when cooked down. She used it to create a salad dressing that was lovely both in colour and flavour!”
All Staff Favourites are 20% off. The Staff Favourite Discount cannot be combined with other quantity discounts.
Species: Rheum sp
History: Zack's grandma Barbara-Anne grew this variety on her homestead near Poplar Hill. It has been enjoyed throughout the generations in a multitude of crisps, jams, tarts, sauces, and pies (see one of Mouse's pies in the pictures!).
Why We Grow It: Rhubarb is nutritious, incredibly easy to grow, and sports a showy bloom appreciated by both pollinators and humans. This perennial vegetable creates a lush, delicious ground cover and can be used to make a variety of delicious dishes.
A note on the "Grandma" Series: Inspired by Ken's 'Grandma Ethel Black currant', we decided to curate our own repertoire of family favourites grown by our grandmothers! Check out our tried-n-true gooseberries and raspberries in addition to the currants and rhubarb.
History: German plums are a European variety characteristic of the kind grown in central Europe. Although not much is known about its history, it is believed this variety is at least a couple centuries old.
Why We Grow It: A juicy, freestone plum with an aromatic, sweet flavour. They are great for fresh eating and due to their drier than average nature, are great for baking into traditional German plum desserts. They keep for 2-4 weeks refrigerated, providing ample time to enjoy them fresh or find that perfect recipe.
The photo of the plums in hand compares 4 larger Italian plums on the upper right, to 2 smaller German plums on the lower left.
Species: Vitis labrusca x Vitis riparia x Vitis vinifera, and small amounts of other species of different Vitis from North America
History: Bred by Elmer Swenson in Wisconsin, Somerset is one of numerous varieties he created for growing in our cooler North American climates. This cultivar has become increasingly popular in recent years and has good potential for commercial growing. The variety was released in 2002.
Why We Grow It: One of the hardiest, highest quality seedless grape varieties out there, this is an excellent table grape: sweet, spicy, with strong notes of strawberry. The grapes have beautiful pink flushed skin and are most decadent if allowed to sit on a sunny window sill for a week or so after harvest. Although the fruit is on the smaller to medium end of the scale, the vines produce large, heavy clusters that more than compensate for the size of the individual grapes. The grapes have a firm texture with some crunch.
Species: Amelanchier alnifolia (aka Western Serviceberry)
History: Smokey (sometimes spelled Smoky) likely originated in Alberta. This productive variety was once the main cultivar grown in Canada commercially.
Why We Grow It: Smokey saskatoon berries are optimal for the fresh eating market with a mild sweet flavour. These berries are a great substitute for blueberries. Smokey is one of the best yielding varieties, and grows up to 12 feet tall. Saskatoons by nature are slow growing, and while they will bear fruit in 1-3 years, it can take up to 15 years for a full crop.
Photo by Cindy Malette from Burst
Species: Lonicera caerulea
History: Blue Banana was developed by Lidia Stuart of Berries Unlimited, potentially bred from Russian varieties or a cross between Russian and Japanese varieties. The variety is named for the unique shape of the berries and was likely selected for their large size and sweet flavour.
Why We Grow It: Blue Banana is exceptionally sweet compared to other haskap varieties and the flavour has been described as 'smoked strawberry.' These large, sweet berries are good for fresh eating along with cooking, baking, preserving, etc! The bush itself grows quickly and is relatively disease resistant.
History: Idared apples were developed at the University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station in 1942. Although its flavour is generally considered average, its excellent storage qualities have made it one of the most popular apple varieties in North America.
Why We Grow It: Idared's best quality is its ability to easily last six months when stored in a fridge, potentially until June under optimal storage conditions. The flesh tends to be softer and is white with some tinges of green. The flavour is described as sprightly, moderately acidic, and tangy, and this apple boasts a high Vitamin C content. It is great for baking and making applesauce. The tree's naturally somewhat smaller size makes Idared easier to prune and train.
Species: Ribes nigrum
History: This black currant is a family classic that was grown by Ken's great-grandmother.
Why We Grow It: Grandma Ethel produces large fruit with a slightly stronger flavour than Titania and an unusual sweetness for a currant. The berries make a very tasty juice - the recipe can be found further below!
A note on the "Grandma" Series: Inspired by this modest currants' success here at the nursery, we decided to curate our own repertoire of family favourites! Check out our tried-n-true gooseberries, rhubarb and raspberries.
History: Carmine Jewel is one of several dwarf sour cherry shrubs developed at the University of Saskatchewan in an effort to combine cold hardiness, dwarf stature, and good quality fruit into one variety. This effort was started by Dr. Kerr (for whom Kerr applecrabs were named) in the 1940s and Carmine Jewel was released in 1999. It is considered the hardiest of the cherries they developed. Carmine Jewel cherries are now the most commonly grown commercial cherries in the prairies.
Why We Grow It: Carmine Jewel is a notably productive cultivar with small cherries that have a high flesh-to-pit ratio. Thanks to their firm flesh, they are a preferred variety for freezing and drying. The shrub is on the smaller size, reaching 6-7ft once mature, great for anyone who loves cherries but doesn't have a lot of space!
Species: Catalpa speciosa
History: Northern Catalpa is native to the midwestern US where it was cultivated starting in the 1750s due to its resistance to rotting. This made it useful as fence posts and, rather unsuccessfully, as railroad ties. This tree has since expanded far beyond its original range as a commonly planted ornamental tree.
Why We Grow It: Catalpas make lovely ornamental trees, featuring large, heart-shaped leaves and twisting trunks. To further the visual appeal, they bloom annually with large, white flowers which turn into dangling bean pods.
History: A highly regarded cider apple of Normandy, France, where it has been grown for centuries. This cultivar is one of the traditional cultivars in the production of calvados (a brandy made from apples and sometimes pears) in the Pays d’Auge region.
Why we grow it: This cider apple has a unique spicy flavour that is high in tannins, low in acidity, and low in sugar. With it's rich history and beautiful brass coloured juice, this cultivar is a must in every well-rounded cider orchard.
Species: Gymnocladus dioicus
History: Kentucky Coffeetrees are native to the southernmost parts of Ontario and the midwestern United States. Despite its fairly large range, it is relatively rare today likely due to evolutionary anachronism. It is believed Kentucky Coffeetrees co-evolved with megafauna that are now extinct, so previously beneficial traits like the thick leathery pod around its seeds now hinder seed dispersal. Indigenous peoples have used the tree as a source of food by roasting the seeds and making a coffee-like drink, and the seeds have also been used as pieces in games and to make jewellery. Nowadays, the tree is planted ornamentally in urban areas.
Why We Grow It: This nitrogen-fixing, Carolinian tree produces seeds that may be roasted and used as a coffee substitute, but be aware the raw seeds are toxic! This tree boasts the largest leaves of any native tree, and it's considered a threatened species.
History: Norland apples were created by Dr. C.R. Ure and introduced in 1979 by the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Morden, Manitoba.
Why We Grow It: Since this variety was bred to survive in the prairies, it is very cold hardy. The fruit is medium-sized with sweet flesh that is good for fresh eating or applesauce. It bears heavy annual crops starting early in the life of the tree. A home orchardist in Dacre, ON described the fruit as "lovely with no pest damage; juicy, creamy-fleshed with excellent flavour."
Species: Rubus parviflorus
History: Thimbleberries are a native plant closely related to raspberries and blackberries. Cultivated for edible, ornamental, and ecological reasons today, they have also historically been used by indigenous peoples as a source of food and medicine.
Why We Grow It: This is an excellent under-story plant that produces smaller, flatter berries than cultivated raspberries, but with a delicious sweet-tart flavour. Apparently young shoots can be harvested in spring, lightly peeled, and then boiled for an asparagus-like 'vegetable'- we haven't tried this yet, but would love to hear from you if you have! The thornless bush grows up to 7 feet tall, though can be kept smaller with pruning/trellising/tying down. The fruit grows best on 2-3 year old canes unlike raspberries, which makes this an ideal plant for living fences.
Species: Ribes uva-crispa x Ribes missouriense
History: Pixwell was developed at the North Dakota Experiment Station in a gooseberry breeding program that began in 1920. A cross between Oregon Champion and Ribes missouriense, the variety was eventually released in 1932. Pixwell was named for it's less thorny nature - as in smaller and less thorns than most gooseberries, especially as it grows older - which makes it easier to pick the berries.
Why We Grow It: Aside from living up to its name, Pixwell produces green berries that turn a lovely shade of pink to plummy-purple-red once they are ready to be picked. The medium berries have sweet flesh and tart skin, and are great for fresh eating, pies, and preserving.
History: Duchess of Oldenburg, or Duchess as we like to call it, originated in the 1700s in Russia. It spread to other countries where it became popular, especially in Victorian England. Its popularity was so great that at one point it was used as a reference cultivar when evaluating other varieties of apples. It is also likely the parent of several other varieties such as Northern Spy.
Why We Grow It: Duchess boasts an attractive fruit that is striped and mottled red over light green. Although these apples don't store well, the flesh is soft and is excellent for pies and applesauce. The trees themselves are quite hardy and disease resistant.
Species: Salix sp, most likely Salix discolor
History: Pussy willows are native to North America, Europe, and Asia and are culturally significant in all three continents. They are a New Years decoration in China and Iran and have been used in various sects of Christianity for purposes such as replacing palm fronds as a decoration for Palm Sunday in Europe and America where palms do not grow.
Why We Grow It: A fluffy signifier of spring, these cute willows are also a great early pollen source for bees and have medicinal uses.
Photo by Huckleberry Hives.
History: Goldcot was bred by researchers in Michigan's snowbelt with the goal of creating a hardier apricot that could withstand harsher winters. They succeeded and Goldcot apricots were introduced in 1967.
Why We Grow It: Both an early and notably hardy cultivar, Goldcot is known to be productive and dependable. The flesh of the fruit is drier than other apricots and has a slight tangy taste that is good for both fresh eating and canning. The tree has a natural semi-dwarf growth habit, great for anyone looking for a smaller apricot tree.
History: Golden Nugget was created more or less by accident when Golden Russet and Cox's Orange Pippin were crossed at the Kentville Agricultural Station in Nova Scotia in 1932. Despite being an accident, once researchers realized how flavourful this variety was they continued to raise it and eventually released it in 1964. Although a delicious apple, its small size prevented it from attaining true commercial success.
Why We Grow It: It is prized for its incredible flavour which is super sweet and tangy like a pineapple. Along with being great for fresh eating, it is also suited for cider. The tree itself boasts decent disease resistance.