All Zone 4 (or hardier) Plants

Species: Cryptotaenia japonica

History: Mitsuba is native to Japan, China, and Korea where it is used as a garnish, seasoning, and as a root vegetable. Mitsuba translates from Japanese as 'three leaves', referring to the way the plant grows leaves in groups of three. In Japan, it is also traditionally used at weddings where the stems of the plant are tied in knots to bring luck and symbolize the lasting relationship. It is also used in Japanese flower arrangement.  

Why We Grow It: Mitsuba has a light, refreshing, vegetal flavour that is reminiscent of parsley and celery. It is also high in calcium and vitamin C. This variety boasts attractive purplish foliage (more green in shade and purple in full sun, see photos) and produces small, pinkish-white star-shaped flowers which add a nice ornamental touch to the garden.  

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.

Species: Hippohae rhamnoides

History: Oops! As sometimes happens in the nursery business, we received what were supposed to be female sea buckthorn plants but turned out to be male ones. Although they are not what we had anticipated, they are still excellent pollination partners for female plants.

Why We Grow It: Male sea buckthorn plants are vigorous and strong pollinators. Although they do not produce berries, they are also useful as fodder, ornamentally, and as erosion control. Sea Buckthorn also have nodules on their roots which help fix nitrogen into the ground, and are a common plant in permaculture orchards for this natural 'fertilizer' effect on plants in their vicinity.

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. 

History: Major dates back to potentially before the nineteenth century and was commonly grown on farms in Devon and Somerset in England. It remains a traditional English cider variety.

Why We Grow It: Major produces a lovely bittersweet juice that is good both in blends or on its own. It ripens relatively early so it is a nice apple for extending the cider pressing season.

History: Little is known about Kermerrien aside from the fact it originated in the Quimplerlé region in France. It was exhibited by an orchardist at an event in 1896 and was described in a book on cider apples published in the same year, but it is unknown how old the variety is. It is commonly used to make traditional Breton cider. 

Why We Grow It: This bittersweet cider apple produces a good single-variety cider with a nice golden juice. The tree is vigorous and starts bearing at a young age.

History: Paula Red (sometimes written Paulared) was discovered in Michigan in 1960 by Lewis Arends near a ravine where apples were dumped. It was one of several wild apple seedlings that had sprouted up from the discarded seeds. Likely pleased by its attractive red skin and flavour, Arends named it 'Paula Red' in honour of his wife Pauline. It is a cross between Duchess and McIntosh.

Why We Grow It: Paula Red produces medium to large red apples with small yellow/green patches that are juicy and firm with a nice sweet/tart flavour. The flavour has strong vinous and strawberry notes. It is also slower to brown. This early-ripening variety tends to soften relatively quickly which means it does not store very long, but it is great for making applesauce. The tree produces heavy crops although tends to bear every other year as a result. 

History: Brown's Apple was discovered in Devon, UK, in the early 1900s and is considered a traditional English cider apple. It remains quite popular in the area.

Why We Grow It: This traditional variety boasts cold-hardiness and a resistance to scab. It is great for making cider thanks to being simultaneously high in both acid and sugar, an uncommon feature in most apples. Brown's Apple presses to a fragrant, vintage quality juice.

History: Karneval (translated from Czech as 'Carnival') was developed at the Institute of Experimental Botany in Prague in the Czech Republic by Dr. Jaroslav Tupý. It is a cross between Vanda and Cripps Pink. It was released in 2011 and like many other modern apples, boasts a sweeter flavour and good disease resistance. However, the main reason this apple was likely selected and given its fun name was for the bright red striped that adorn it. 

Why We Grow It: Karneval is medium sized apple that is sweet, juicy and just a little tart and aromatic. However, this apple is best known for its unique appearance: yellow skin with distinct red stripes that would make it feel at home at the circus. Great flavour, striking visual appeal, good storage capabilities, and good disease resistance make this apple an excellent choice for any grower.

Species: Viburnum trilobum

History: Highbush Cranberry is actually a viburnum and not a cranberry, despite its name. It earned its name due to the resemblance of the berries to cranberries in appearance and flavour. This shrub is native across southern Canada and and the northeastern US, and in sporadic locations in the prairies and BC. The berries have traditionally been used by indigenous peoples and European colonizers alike. 

Why We Grow It: Fans of cranberries will enjoy this native plant! The bright red berries are high in vitamin C and can be eaten fresh, although like regular cranberries are best when made into sauces and preserves. They do contain a fairly large pit that has to be removed beforehand though! The shrub itself gets about 4m tall and has ornamental appeal with its showy white 'flowers' (they are actually bracts surrounding the smaller clusters of flowers within).  

History: Luscious was developed at South Dakota State University as a cross between Ewark and South Dakota 31 in 1954. This goal was to create trees suitable for areas like the Northern Great Plains. Luscious was introduced in 1973, likely selected for its cold-hardiness and excellent flavour. 

Why We Grow It: Luscious produces small to medium yellow fruits with an attractive red blush. The fruit is quite sweet, great for fresh eating and cooking/baking! This is an excellent option for fans of Bartlett who are looking for a versatile and cold hardy variety! Luscious also has value as an ornamental tree, producing white blooms and glossy green leaves that turn a nice red in the fall. 

Species: Prunus cerasus

History: These Meteor seedlings are grown from seeds we've collected here at Silver Creek Nursery from our own trees! Meteor was introduced from the University of Minnesota in 1952.

Why We Grow It: Seedling fruit trees are a great way to add some diversity and mystery to your garden or orchard! The parent variety, Meteor, is a reliable, hardy variety that is great for pies. They naturally have a more compact growth habit. For a full description, see our Meteor page here.

Please Note: Since sour cherries tend to stay true to type more than apples, these seedlings will likely bear a strong resemblance to their parent variety. However, any specific information listed on this page should be taken with a grain of salt as there may be some variation from the parent tree.

History: York Imperial was discovered as a seedling tree growing on the farm of John Kline in Pennsylvania. Nurseryman Jonathan Jessop, of Springwood Farm in York, Pennsylvania, began propagating the variety in 1820 after witnessing schoolboys digging through the leaves around the base of the tree in spring and retrieving apples there were in great condition despite spending all winter on the ground. In an age without refrigeration, Jessop knew this variety had excellent commercial potential. It was initially named Jonathan's Fine Winter for its excellent storage properties but was later renamed York Imperial after horticulturalist Andrew Jackson Downing called it the 'imperial of keepers,' again referencing its storability and the location of Jessop's farm. It quickly became popular and remains one of few heritage apples that are still commonly grown in the US today. 

Why We Grow It: York Imperial produces a rather lop-sided fruit with yellow skin and red striping. It is crisp and juicy with a lovely sweet, honeyed flavour that is hard to turn down. The fruit is truly all-purpose, also being great for cooking, baking, jelly, juice, drying, and cider and generally storing quite well. While not the fastest growing tree and with a tendency to start producing fruit a little later than other varieties, York Imperial is an exercise in patience that is well worth the wait. 

History: While on vacation on Manitoulin Island in 2022, Wayne Kuntze found Manitowaning Pink Heart growing wild in the corner of the Gulyas family's yard and (with permission) brought the apples and some grafting material back to Silver Creek Nursery. The distinct pink colour and the heart shape of the fruit caught his eye, along with the pink flesh inside. Fittingly, he named it Manitowaning Pink Heart after the village where the property was located and the unique appearance of the apple. A truly unique variety, we are happy to officially introduce it in 2023!

Why We Grow It: We love unusual apple varieties and Manitowaning Pink Heart really stands out! With its attractive pink blush over yellow skin, pink flesh, and heart-shaped fruit, this is a one of a kind apple! Despite its sweet appearance, this crabapple is quite tart and tannic. Like other crabapples, this one is best suited for jelly and cider. Its pink flesh may help add a distinctive colouration. 

This is a brand new variety and we're still learning about it! For any avid apple growers who decide to plant these out, feel free to keep us updated on how it grows, what you use the fruit for, etc, so we can provide as much information as possible!

Bloom photo courtesy of Christine Gulyas

Species: Prunus cerasus

History: These sour cherry seedlings are grown from Juliet seeds we've collected here at Silver Creek Nursery from our own trees! Juliet, is one of the members of the Romance Series released in 2004 from the University of Saskatchewan.

Why We Grow It: Seedling fruit trees are a great way to add some diversity and mystery to your garden or orchard! The parent variety, Juliet, has a sweet/tart flavour that some enjoy for fresh eating and is great for processing. A naturally dwarfing and bush-like variety. For a full description, see our Juliet page here. 

Please Note: Since sour cherries tend to stay true to type more than apples, these seedlings will likely bear a strong resemblance to their parent variety. However, any specific information listed on this page should be taken with a grain of salt as there may be some variation from the parent tree.

Species: Morus rubra x M. alba

History: Illinois Everbearing was discovered in Illinois, US by the Wabash River and is a natural cross between red mulberries (M. rubra) and white mulberries (M. alba). It was discovered by Peter Glaser in 1947 and likely selected for its excellent fruit quality and everbearing nature. Named for its State of origin and long harvest window, Illinois Everbearing was released in 1958 by Burgess Seed and Plant Co. in Michigan and has since become one of the most popular mulberries in North America.

Why We Grow It: Illinois Everbearing produces large, almost seedless mulberries with an excellent flavour. They are great for eating fresh, baking, or making into jams. Better yet, these excellent mulberries ripen from July into September, providing a wide window to enjoy these tasty treats. The tree itself is hardy and vigorous but is relatively easy to keep pruned to a smaller size. 

Species: Aronia melanocarpa

History: Nero was created in Russia by plant breeder Ivan Michurin in either the late 1800s or early 1900s. Likely selected for its large fruit and sweeter flavour, Nero is still used commercially in Russia to this day. 

Why We Grow It: Nero produces ample clusters of dark berries that are somewhat sweeter and less astringent than other aronia varieties, making it more favourable for fresh eating. Like other aronia berries, it is ideal for baking, cooking, jellies, etc. While the berries ripen in August, they can hang onto the bush for a couple months and tend to sweeten over time. The plant itself is tough and cold hardy.

History: Pewaukee originated around the mid-1800s when George Peffer, owner of Pewaukee Fruit Farm & Nursery, crossed Duchess of Oldenburg with Northern Spy on his farm in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. The resulting apple, a cross of two varieties well known for their use in cooking, is great for a variety of culinary uses! It was formally recorded as a variety in 1870 and can still be found in old orchards in parts of the US today. 

Why We Grow It: Pewaukee produces a yellow apple with red striping that has sweet, crisp flesh with a hint of vanilla. It is great for fresh eating and excels for sauce, cooking, and baking. The tree is known for being hardy and producing fruit at a young age.

History: Érdi Bõtermõ is a Hungarian variety of sour cherry that is a cross between Pangy and Nady Angol. It was bred by the Hungarian Research Institute for Fruitgrowing and Ornamentals and remains popular in Europe. It was brought back to the US by Michigan State University biologist Pr. Amy Iezzoni who is researching and breeding new sour cherry cultivars. It was given the name "Danube" in North America, named after the river that flows through Hungary, since it was considered easier to pronounce and spell.

Why We Grow It: Érdi Bõtermõ is unique in that it has a surprisingly sweet flavour compared to other sour cherries, making them suitable for fresh eating along with baking and preserving. It ripens early and produces large fruit that are deep red with firm red flesh. 

History: Mother was first officially introduced to the world in an 1844 edition of the "Magazine of Horticulture." We know it came from General Stephen Gardner's farm in Massachusetts in the US but do not know any other details about its origins. It faded from popularity in the US during the 1900s but remained popular in the UK.

Why We Grow It: Mother produces medium-sized apples with yellow skin that turn deep red where exposed to the sun. This crisp, juicy apple is sweet with hints of pear and vanilla making it an excellent choice for fresh eating. It is also a popular option for baking pies! The fruit stores well, the blooms are tolerant of late spring frosts, and the tree tends to start producing at a young age. It is also susceptible to several common apple diseases, but we believe its other qualities outshine that fact.

History: Cortland apples were first bred in 1898 by Cornell University in New York and introduced in 1915. Since then, they have become one of the top fifteen apples in the US and Canada, although the majority are still grown relatively close to the university where they originated. While there are different versions of Cortland available with features such as redder skin, we are happy to offer the original!

Why We Grow It: Especially with older, popular varieties, we are always happy to offer what is, to the best of our knowledge, the original strain. Cortland is a sweet apple with crisp, juicy flesh. It is great for applesauce or drying as the flesh is slow to brown. The fruit keeps until Christmas under home storage conditions although the crispness and flavour does fade over time. This variety crops well annually and makes a good pollinator for others. 

History: Woolbrook Pippin originated in 1903 at Woolbrook Nursery in the UK. It was discovered by J.H. Stevens and Son. It is a Cox's Orange Pippin seedling and received an Award of Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1929.

Why We Grow It: Woolbrook Pippin produces a greenish apple overlaid with bright red stripes that is excellent for fresh eating. The fruit is firm, crisp, and juicy with a sweet, aromatic flavour balanced by a bit of tartness. This is a great choice for fans of Cox's Orange Pippin!

History: Goodland was developed at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba as part of an effort to breed cold hardy apples for the prairies. It is a seedling of Patten Greening that was selected in 1925 and the variety was introduced commercially in 1955.

Why We Grow It: The cold hardy Goodland produces a medium to large yellow apple with red striping. This crisp, juicy apple has sweet/tart flavour that is great for fresh eating, cooking, and sauce. Unlike most early ripening varieties, Goodland will store well for several months. 

Species: Aesculus glabra

History: Ohio Buckeye is native to Walpole Island in Ontario and some central and southern states in the United States. The Shawnee name for the tree is 'hetuck' which means 'eye of the buck' due to the nut's resemblance to a deer's eye. Indigenous peoples such as the Lenape traditionally use the nuts for medicinal uses, tanning leather, and jewellery. Ohio Buckeye is the state tree of Ohio and people from Ohio and graduates of Ohio State University are sometimes called 'buckeyes'. Unsurprisingly, the nuts have an important cultural place in Ohio. There is a candy resembling the nuts called 'buckeyes' that are popular and the nuts make numerous appearances in Calvin and Hobbes whose author is from Ohio. Its wood is too soft to be used for much and it has limited uses as a street tree since it is considered messy due to the nuts it drops.

Why We Grow It: Ohio Buckeye is an attractive ornamental tree with its large, palmate leaves and notable yellow flowers in spring. Although the tree is toxic and generally not fed on by wildlife, the large flowers are very attractive to a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds!