All Zone 4 (or hardier) Plants

2025 Staff Favourite

Jostaberries are Wayne's favourite this year! He enjoys them because "they have the best qualities of both black currants and gooseberries."

All Staff Favourites are 20% off. The Staff Favourite Discount cannot be combined with other quantity discounts.

Species: Ribes x nidigrolaria, a cross between Ribes nigrum (black currants), Ribes divaracitum (black gooseberries), and Ribes uva-crispa (European gooseberries)

History: Jostaberries were created in West Germany in 1955 by Dr. Rudolph Bauer, although attempts to cross these three plants had begun as early as 1883 without success. They were eventually released to the public in 1977.

Why We Grow It: Jostaberries are a unique cross between three plants: black currants, black gooseberries, and European gooseberries. The berries taste like gooseberries at first and transition to a black currant taste as they ripen and darken. 

History: Waneta is a hybrid of Japanese plums (Prunus salicina) and American plums (Prunus americana) developed at the South Dakota Experimental Station by NE Hansen and introduced in 1913. It was developed at a time when hybrid plums were more important as a commercial crop. It was named after a Yanktonai man who played a prominent role in the War of 1812 and later became chief. 

Why We Grow It: Waneta is a juicy and sweet clingstone plum with tart red skin. The flesh is a yellowish colour. The tree naturally stays a little smaller and has good crops, paired with decent cold hardiness.  

History: This McIntosh type apple was developed in New Jersey at the Rutgers Agricultural Experiment Station in 1956. It was released commercially in 1971.

Why We Grow It: For McIntosh lovers this is a great apple to grow since it ripens before actual McIntosh apples. It is a bit more tart than McIntosh which makes it great for cooking, baking, and applesauce. It is recommended to use a thickener when baking pies since the flesh cooks down quickly. This tree is also a good cropper.

Species: Prunus pumila var. besseyi (Western sandcherry) x P. salicina (Japanese Plum)

History: Dura was developed at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba and was released in 1942. 

Why We Grow It: Dura produces small red fruit with sweet mauve flesh. They are good for eating fresh along with cooking/baking, preserving, and juice! This hardy shrub is generally disease resistant and is naturally dwarfing. 

Species: Inula helenium

History: Elecampane is native from Spain all the way to parts of China and has become naturalized in parts of North America. It has traditionally served a variety of purposes including being used to treat snake and spider bites by the Ancient Greeks, to test if honey has spoiled by the Ancient Romans, as a candied snack in Medieval Europe, and to make absinthe. Throughout its long history it has provided various medicinal uses as well. It also has quite the storied past, with the species name referring to the myth that the plant sprung up from the tears of Helen of Troy while the Celts associated it with fairies and elves.

Why We Grow It: Although not commonly used medicinally today, it still provides some novelty to the garden. The small, yellow flowers resemble those of asters to which it is related. The flowers attract pollinators and the roots, like comfrey, are good at mining nutrients from deeper in the soil.

History: Ginger Gold has quite the dramatic origin. In 1969 Hurricane Camille hit Virginia and brought awful floods, devastating the orchards of Clyde and Frances "Ginger" Harvey. As Clyde Harvey went to save the few remaining trees in his Winesap orchard, he discovered a mysterious seedling that produced yellow apples instead of red. Genetic testing showed it was a seedling of Golden Delicious, Albermarle Pippin, and an unknown third variety. Clyde named the variety after his wife and it was introduced commercially in 1982. Since then, it has become a commercially popular early variety! In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly proposed a bill to make Ginger Gold the official state apple, although this bill was sadly tabled.  

Why We Grow It: It is easy to see why this such a popular early apple! Ginger Gold produces lovely bright yellow apples that sometimes sport a red blush. These medium-large apples have are firm and juicy with a pleasant sweet flavour that has a nice tart finish. The fruit is slow to brown which makes them even better for fresh-eating along with drying. For fans of feeding wildlife, Ginger Gold apples are known to hang onto the tree well after they are ripe.

Tree Discount: Purchase multiples of this tree & enjoy the savings! 

Enjoy our bulk quantity discount (see below) and add to cart to see how much you save!

Species: Maclura pomifera

History: Osage Orange is originally native to a small portion of Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. It was first introduced to European colonizers in the early 1800s by the Osage Nation, hence the name of the tree, who prized it for its use in making bows. It was then widely planted across the US in hedgerows thanks to the dense, thorny hedges it forms when pruned that were impenetrable to livestock. It was in fact one of the primary trees included in President Franklin Roosevelt's Great Plains Shelterbelt project which started in 1934 and by 1942 had resulted in 220 million trees being planted. The hard, rot-resistant, yellow wood was also useful for making fence posts, tool handles, and dye.

Why We Grow It: Although the fruit produced by the Osage Orange is not considered edible, this tree has plenty of other uses! It is still commonly planted as an ornamental tree and the bright yellow inner wood adds an extra level of appeal.

Species: Quercus robur or hybrid. Our seeds are collected from trees that may have been cross-pollinated by closely related species so the resulting seedlings may be hybrids. 

History: The English Oak is native to much of Europe where it is culturally significant in many countries. It appears on coats-of-arms, coins, and national emblems, and features prominently in folklore, stories, historical events, and even the legal process in Basque Country. There are numerous examples of exceptionally large and old English Oaks across Europe, such as The Majesty Oak in England with a circumference of 12.2m and the Stelmužė Oak in Lithuania which is believed to be over 1500 years old. The oaks are grown commercially for their durable wood and for ornamental purposes.

Why We Grow It: The English Oak's acorns are large (2.3-3cm long) and lower in tannins than red oaks, which make them more rewarding after going through the work of cracking and leaching the tannins to use them as a flour/food source. The wood is popular in barrel and cask making thanks to its elastic yet durable strength, and resistance to rot. Very long-lived trees, these majestic beauties can grow up to the ripe old age of 450 years old. It's also one of the few oak species that attracts and supports honey bees as a pollen source!

History: This apple was developed in New York in 1974. It has never achieved major popularity but remains a curiosity due to the deep red colour of its skin which causes the flesh inside to become stained pink.

Why We Grow It: Along with its visual appeal, this apple boasts a sweet, sub-acidic flavour that makes it suitable for both fresh eating and making cider. Although these apples don't store well, the fruit hangs onto the tree for three weeks which helps to keep it available a little longer.

Picture of Burgundy apples on the tree courtesy of Shannon McInnis

Species: Vaccinium corymbosum

History: Duke was developed in Maryland by Arlen Draper, a blueberry breeder working for the USDA, in collaboration with the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. After ten years of testing it was released in 1987 thanks to its early ripening time, general disease resistance, reliable crops, and suitability for commercial sale. It was named Duke after S. Arthur "Duke" Galetta of the Atlantic Blueberry Company in honour of his support for blueberry breeding efforts over the years.  

Why We Grow It: Duke produces good-sized crops of large, firm berries that are a good balance of sweet and tart. This is one of the earlier ripening blueberries and it has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Duke is an extremely reliable producer thanks to it's later bloom time that allows it avoid late spring frosts. Like other blueberries, it is great for a variety of uses including fresh eating, baking, and preserving! 

Species: Helianthus tuberosus, Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes or J Chokes

History: Stampede apparently originated on a reserve in northern Ontario where indigenous peoples had been cross-breeding the earliest flowering sunchokes they could find. They succeeded with Stampede which is an early flowering and ripening variety. In 1978, only two tubers were sent to Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine, producing enough tubers by the end of the year that the nursery was able to introduce the new variety commercially in 1979.

Why We Grow It: Stampede is an extremely productive variety and produces relatively large, if somewhat knobby, white tubers. Like other sunchokes, Stampede can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways, similar to the many ways you can use a potato! The early flowering and ripening time of this variety is great for anyone with a limited growing season.

History: Brookgold was developed at the Crop Diversification Centre South in Brooks, Alberta and was named for the town and its golden colour. It was introduced in 1979.

Why We Grow It: Brookgold, like other fruit varieties developed in the prairies, is very cold hardy! Although there is sometimes a trade-off between cold hardiness and fruit quality, this variety still produces small yellow freestone plums that are very sweet, making them great for fresh eating and good for canning and preserving. 

Species: Apio americana

History: American Groundnut (aka hopniss, potato bean, and hodoimo) is a native vine found from southern Canada down to Florida and west to Colorado. They are an important traditional food amongst indigenous peoples within its range and were introduced to European colonizers by these peoples. American Groundnuts failed to take off as a crop in Europe or colonized North America, although there have been efforts since the late 1900s to develop and promote cultivars in the US. Curiously, the only place where American Groundnuts are an important commercial crop is in Japan where it has become an important part of the Aomori Prefecture culinary scene following its introduction during the Meiji Period.

Why We Grow It: Although American Groundnuts have failed to gain much traction in the West, they are a great addition to the garden whether you are looking for a unique edible perennial or an ornamental plant. The shoots and seed pods are edible but American Groundnut is best known for the small tubers that grow in a bead-like manner along the roots. They are relatively small and taste similar to a potato but with more nuttiness. Like a potato, they can be used in a variety of ways! The unique burgundy flowers also make them appealing ornamentally. Just keep in mind that these vines can be quite vigorous and will spread!

Species: Platanus occidentalis

History: American sycamores (aka American planetree, buttonwood, and water beech) are native to the United States, the most northern parts of Mexico, and the most southern parts of Canada. The bark has traditionally been used by indigenous peoples to make bowls for gathering berries and the wood has been used to make butcher blocks. The tree itself was common as a street tree but its susceptibility to anthracnose made it visually unappealing and it was replaced by the London planetree. The Buttonwood Agreement, the founding document of the New York Stock Exchange, is named for this tree because it was signed under an American sycamore in 1792.

Why We Grow It: American sycamores are an attractive tree with visually unique camo-like bark and curious brown little seed balls that hang on through the winter. They can get quite tall and are a good wildlife tree. Just be mindful that the roots are good at clogging drain pipes so be mindful where you plant it!

History: Maypole was developed in 1976 by Plant Breeding International at the East Malling Research Station in the UK as a cross between Wijcik Spur McIntosh and Baskatong. Wijcik Spur McIntosh originated as a mutation discovered on a McIntosh tree in 1962 in the Wijcik Orchards in British Columbia, the branch growing oddly straight with little branching. Several varieties were deliberately bred to have this mutation and now Maypole, released in 1986, is one of six columnar varieties developed at the station. This series of trees is known as Ballerina in the UK but due to that name being unavailable in the US, they are known as Colonnade in North America. 

Why We Grow It: Not only is Maypole unique as a columnar apple, this crabapple also boasts lovely red flesh, bronze coloured leaves, and pretty pink blossoms in the spring. This makes it overall a lovely ornamental tree to have, whether planted in the yard or in a pot. The fruit is also excellent for jelly, apple butter, and cider, adding a red hue to each. It can also be eaten fresh although it tends to be quite acidic with a touch of sweetness.

For the most up-to-date information see Claude Jolicoeur's website here!

History: This particular iteration of Trail, previously referred to as Bilodeau, has a bit of a messy history. A Trail crabapple tree was mislabeled at a Quebec nursery in the 1980s and sold to an unknowing customer named Claude Bilodeau who thought he was purchasing a pear tree. Later on Claude Jolicoeur, well-known Quebecois cider-maker and pomologist, took a cutting from this tree and found that the fruit (definitely not a pear!) was excellent for making cider. Since it was still a mystery what the original variety was, the crabapple was named Bilodeau by Jolicoeur after the owner of the tree - only for Paul Kron from the University of Guelph to confirm that it was actually Trail via DNA testing in 2022. The Trail crab was bred at Ottawa from a cross of Northern Queen x Rideau, it was selected in 1913 and introduced in 1920.

Why We Grow It: Despite the confusion, we are regardless happy to have this apple in our catalogue! This bittersharp cider apple has excellent cider-making qualities and, unlike most crabapples, is also great when eaten fresh or made into jelly! 

History: Glowing Heart was bred in Toronto by Fred Jansen, one of the founders of the North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX). This unique apple is still in its early years.

Why We Grow It: This variety has a unique pink and white flesh and is quite acidic. One bite will make you pucker! Although not the best option for fresh eating, this apple creates an aromatic jelly with rich flavour and can be used in ciders as well. It does well in organic orchards.

Species: Helianthus tuberosus, Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes or J Chokes

History: Beaver Valley Purple was introduced by heirloom vegetable gardener William Woys Weaver in the latter half of the 1900s. When he visited Sarah Morgan, a cook and gardener, at her home in Beaver Valley, Pennsylvania, she showed him the unique purple sunchokes growing in her garden. According to Morgan, the purple sunchokes had been growing on the property when her husband purchased it in 1920 and locals already considered it an heirloom variety at that time. Weaver, a fan of heritage vegetables, named the variety and began to offer it through the Seed Savers Exchange. 

Why We Grow It: Beaver Valley Purple produces a unique reddish-purple tuber that is visually quite distinct from other sunchokes. Sunchokes, similar to a potato, can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways!

History: John Downie was raised by Edward Holmes, a nursery worker in England, in the 1870s. The variety was named after another nursery worker and friend of Holmes, John Downie. John Downie crabapples remain one of the most popular of the English crabapples.

Why We Grow It: This crabapple sports bright orangey-red fruit, often used to create some of the best jelly around. With its sweet-tart flavour, this crabapple can be pressed into a cheery orange juice that is a great addition to cider blends.

For the most up-to-date information on this cultivar, see Claude Jolicoeur's website here!

History: Well-known Quebec cidermaker Claude Jolicoeur discovered this variety as a chance seedling growing on his property. The fruit is bitter with a banana-like aroma, and was therefore given the name Banane Amère (translated from French as 'bitter banana'). 

Why We Grow It: Despite its inedible nature, Banane Amère is an excellent cider apple and produces a bittersweet juice. It shares some characteristics with the popular cider variety Yarlington Mill but tends to ripen better in our climate.

Species: Salix babylonica 'Tortuosa' syn. S. matsudana

History: Corkscrew willows are a variant of the Chinese Willow which are native to parts of northern China. Willow trees have been cultivated for millennia in Asia and this variety was likely selected for its unique twisting branches. 

Why We Grow It: Corkscrew willows are an attractive ornamental tree year-round, sporting delicate leaves most of the year and then fully displaying their twisted branches and trunks once they have dropped their leaves. The flowers they produce in the spring are attractive to a variety of pollinators. Just be mindful of where you plant the trees, the vigorous roots can be a problem near buildings and pipes!

Species: xSorbopyrus irregularis (Pyrus communis x Sorbus aria), also referred to as xSorbopyrus auricularis although this name is no longer correct

History: Shipova is a unique cross between European pears and Common Whitebeam* (Sorbus aria) which readily hybridizes with many other fruiting plants in the rose family. As a surprise hybrid, the history of Shipova is a little foggy. This cross supposedly appeared, or was perhaps planted, at Bollwiller Castle in France in the 1600s and was called Bollwiller Pear. It was cultivated in gardens in the late 1700s and early 1900s. It may have also originated in Yugoslavia and is popular in Eastern Europe today. Shipova was first brought to the US in 1959 and was imported from Yugoslavia. Today, it appears to remain something of a novelty in North America.

Why We Grow It: Shipova is a truly unique fruit tree and it is a shame that it is not grown more commonly. They are quite cold hardy and relatively disease-resistant. The trees produce clusters of small, round fruit that resemble pears. They are dense and crisp with a sweet flavour reminiscent of tropical fruits. 

*Many places list Shipova as a cross between European pears and Mountain Ash. More precisely, the genus Sorbus is the Mountain Ash genus and the specific tree that is the parent of Shipova is the species Sorbus aria, commonly known as Common Whitebeam

Species: Helianthus tuberosus, Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes or J Chokes

History: Corlis Bolton Haynes discovered a wild sunchoke growing on the farm her parents purchased in 1925 and then spent over sixty years selectively planting the biggest and smoothest tubers in order to improve on the plant. Corlis sadly passed away in 2003 but her family maintains the tradition of only replanting the biggest and best tubers. 

Why We Grow It: This variety produces large, white, knobby tubers that like a potato can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways! This variety is quite productive and the tall plants can be used as a temporary windbreak and/or privacy screen.

History: AKA Co-op 30, Enterprise is one of the many varieties that was developed through the collaborative PRI disease-resistant breeding program run by Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. It was introduced in 1993 and has proven to be a very reliable variety. Although its name does not start with 'PRI' like many of the other varieties that came from this program, they still snuck the initials into Enterprise's name.

Why We Grow It: Enterprise produces crisp fruit that it is known for its strong, rich, tart flavour that can be described as spiced. It is a very disease-resistant variety that grows quickly, produces reliable crops, and stores for a long time.  They are good for fresh eating although the skin is on the thicker side, and they can be used for cooking, baking, and sauce.

Species: Quercus prinoides or hybrid. Our seeds are collected from trees that may have been cross-pollinated by closely related species so the resulting seedlings may be hybrids. 

History: Dwarf Chinquapin Oak (also spelled Chinkapin) is native to southern Ontario and much of the eastern and central United States. It was first described in 1801 by German botanist Karl Ludwig Willdenow but was likely well-known amongst indigenous groups in its range for its edible acorns.

Why We Grow It: Dwarf Chinquapin Oaks are most well known for producing mild sweet acorns that can be eaten raw or processed, making them popular with humans and wildlife alike. They are also quite quick to start producing acorns, only taking 3-5 years where some larger species may take decades. 

Species: Hamamelis vernalis

History: Ozark Witch-Hazel is native to the Ozark Plateau in the United States for which it is named. It has been cultivated ornamentally for its strong scent and unique flowering time, blooming from mid/late winter into spring. The name comes form a misspelling of the English word 'wyche' which means 'pliable' and 'hazel' due to the shrub resembling hazelnut shrubs. Interestingly, 'water witches' in the area did use Ozark Witch-Hazel branches in their water-finding rituals to divine the best locations to dig wells. 

Why We Grow It: Witch-hazels are a unique plant for any property, sprouting stringy yellow flowers in the winter when nothing else is flowering. They produce woody capsules that forcibly pop open, launching the hard, black seeds up to 10m away.