All Zone 5 (or hardier) Plants

History: Winter Banana originated on David Flory's farm in Indiana around 1876. It was named Winter Banana due to the apparently banana-like aroma it gives off when ripe. It is also named Flory Banana or Flory Apple after David Flory. Winter Banana was grown on the west coast and gained some popularity in England and Germany. The thin skin of this variety is easily bruised which prevented it from being a commercial variety but it is still commonly found in gardens and farmer's markets. 

Why We Grow It: This all-purpose apple is extremely attractive with pale yellow skin and a pinkish-red blush. The banana-like aroma is accompanied by sweet flesh with an acid tang. The flavour improves in storage and the apples can be kept all winter.

History: Shiro plums (translated from Japanese as 'white') were developed in California and introduced in 1899. They were bred by horticulturalist Luther Burbank who is renowned for his extensive experimentation with creating new plum varieties. Shiro plums are most commonly grown in the United States and Canada.

Why We Grow It: This early Japanese clingstone variety has yellow skin and flesh that is juicy and sweet. The fruit keeps longer than most plums, lasting two to four weeks, and the tree is known for its compact growth and heavy crops.

History: Meteor sour cherries were introduced by the University of Minnesota in 1952 as part of an effort to breed more cold hardy varieties.

Why We Grow It: Winter hardiness, reliable cropping, and a resistance to leaf spot make Meteor a good choice for the backyard. The fruit is bright red with yellow flesh. Meteor is classified as an amarelle type sour cherry, similar to Montmorency. It is excellent for making pie. 

Check our our blog post with some tasty sour cherry recipes!

Species: Morus sp

History: Our mulberry seedlings are grown from local seed, but they most closely resemble the native red mulberry, Morus rubra, which are considered endangered in Canada. Indigenous peoples traditionally use the berries as a food source, the wood for smoking meat, and even made clothes from the inner bark of the young plants. 

Why We Grow It: The delectably sweet berries are easily enjoyed by humans, livestock, and insects alike! Mulberries don't last very long once ripe so the best way to enjoy this summer treat is to grow them yourself!

History: Summercrisp pears were developed by the University of Minnesota in an effort to create a cold hardy pear. They were successful in creating a hardy and delicious pear, releasing the variety in 1985. Its name is derived from the fact it ripens in summer (very early for a pear!) and that it is great right off the tree when still crisp.  

Why We Grow It: Summercrisp performs amazingly in our test orchard, producing lots of freckled beauties that ripen uniformly and hang well on the tree.  This early cold-hardy pear has a really sweet, pleasant flavour and is not gritty or dry. The fruit are average-sized with yellow skin and red blush. For optimal eating they should be picked before fully ripe and stored in the fridge until eating. This variety deserves to be more widely planted.

History: Cooke's Jumbo originated as a random mutation of an existing quince variety in an orchard in Dinuba, California. It was brought to the attention of the L.E. Cooke Company, for which it was later named, and introduced commercially in 1972.

Why We Grow It: The fruit produced by Cooke’s Jumbo are exceptionally large with greenish-yellow skin and firm white flesh. They are not generally eaten raw, but rather used for baking, jellies, or candied. This is one of the hardiest varieties of quince available.

History: Red Gravenstein is a sport/mutation of the original Gravenstein/Yellow Gravenstein that is a striking bright red. Some say it is also sweeter than the original.

Why We Grow It: With attractive red skin, this is a lovely sport of the original Gravenstein. It is a good quality and sweet early apple that is excellent for home orchards.

History: Conference pears were found growing in the nursery of Thomas Francis River in the UK in 1884. The following year, he introduced the variety at the National British Pear Conference in London where it won fist place, solidifying its reputation and earning its name. Conference pears continue to be grown in several European countries today where it remains very popular. 

Why We Grow It: This old variety has remained popular due to its pleasant and sweet flavour. It can be eaten right off the tree and will keep for a couple months. The fruit itself has an elongated neck, giving it a rather odd appearance. 

Species: Lonicera caerulea

History: Little is known about the origins of Honey Gin aside from the fact it originated in Russia.

Why We Grow It: This variety boasts a unique sweet flavour with hints of smoked plum. Honey Gin's berries are 2cm long and deep blue and juicy. They can be used in a wide variety of ways such as fresh eating or cooking but are generally noted for their excellence in wine, gin, and vodka production. 

Species: Rubus sp

History: These red raspberries were grown by our great-grandmother and have been passed down through the family.

Why We Grow It: We might be a little biased, but we think they have superior flavour! The fruit is very uniform, not crumbly, and holds its shape well fresh or frozen.

A note on the "Grandma" Series: Inspired by Ken's 'Grandma Ethel Black currant', we decided to curate our own repertoire of random (may be a cultivar from long ago, or a favoured seedling) berries that have become family favourites! Check out our tried-n-true rhubarb and gooseberries in addition to the currants and raspberries.

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.

History: Strawberry Pippin is another variety whose history we know little about. All we know is that it likely originated in England where it was first recorded in 1874. The 'pippin' in its name indicates that it was grown from seed by chance. 

Why We Grow It: While we may not know much about its past, we do know why we are happy to grow it! Strawberry Pippin has an attractive red striped fruit which is quite firm and sweet. Its excellent flavour is best enjoyed picked fresh right off the tree. In our experience, Strawberry Pippin does well with minimal care, and is an excellent choice for the backyard.

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!

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

We try to grow as many Native North American Trees as we can; enjoy our bulk quantity discount (see below) and add to cart to see how much you save!

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: Ping Guo Li (translated from Mandarin as 'apple pear') was developed by Jilin Sheng in China and likely named for its round, apple-like shape. While its exact age is unknown, this pear is considered to be an old variety.

Why We Grow It: This Asian pear is nothing but sweet and juicy melting goodness! Its flavour is quite sweet and is comparable to that of a European pear.  So far it has performed very well in our test orchard and displays good cold-hardiness.

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.

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.

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!

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: This European plum has contentious origins, making it difficult to determine if it is very old or extremely old. The name 'damson' stems from the Latin 'damascenum' meaning 'plum of Damascus.' As the name implies, some believe this plum may have come from the ancient city of Damascus and was brought to England by the Romans, making this plum thousands of years old. While this theory has been highly contested, there is ample evidence to prove that Damson plums have been grown in England for hundreds of years. It was introduced to the US in 1800 and was a a favourite due to its adaptability to its new home.

Why We Grow It: Damson produces small round clingstone fruit with a deep blue/purple skin and spicy yellow flesh. They are sweet enough to eat but also have some astringency which makes them less palatable than other varieties. However, they are superb for cooking, preserving, and making jam. The tree blooms late which allows it to avoid early frosts and this variety is self-fertile.

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.

History: Also known as Albemarle Pippin. This apple was discovered as a chance seedling (aka a pippin) in the village of Newtown in New York sometime in the late 1600s or early 1700s. It was commonly grown in colonial America, even earning praise from both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In 1838, the American minister to Great Britain gave some to Queen Victoria who loved the apples so much she removed tariffs on the variety and they became an important export until the tariffs were reinstated during WW2. 

Why We Grow It: Newtown Pippin's popularity can be ascribed to its unique ‘rich pineapple flavour’ which it develops under optimum growing conditions. So far it has been performing well in our test orchard with good vigour and we have had no issues with diseases despite the tree's general susceptibility. 

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.

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.

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: 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.