All Zone 5 (or Hardier) Plants

History: Cupid is a part of the Romance series of dwarf sour cherry bushes developed and released by the University of Saskatchewan in 2004. Their goal was to create cold-hardy, dwarfing bushes with good quality fruit. Cupid was likely selected for its good flavour and unusually large cherries, the largest in the Romance series.

Why We Grow It: These dark red, cold-hardy cherries have a sweet-tart flavour that can be enjoyed fresh for fans of a more astringent flavour or used for cooking, baking, and preserving. Cupid has the largest cherries of all the dwarf sour cherries in the Romance series and also ripens the latest, helping to extend the season.

History: Norkent was bred as a cross between Haralson and Rescue at the Morden Research Station. It was one of tens of thousands of seedlings sent across the prairies as part of the Prairie Fruit Breeding Cooperative initiative by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the 1960s. It was planted at the University of Alberta before being moved again to a backyard in Edmonton once the university ran out of space to it grow. 

Why We Grow It: This pleasant and aromatic apple is one of the best fresh eating apples for colder climates! The flesh of this red apple is crisp and said to taste like a cross between an apple and pear.

History: Jonathan has an interesting history since there are two potential origins. One story says that Rachel Higley collected apple seeds from the local cider mill which she later grew on her new property in Ohio in 1796. She named one of the new varieties Jonathan after a young boy who often visited her orchard. The second, and more likely story, is that it was grown by farmer Philip Rick in the 1820s in New York. Originally named Rick, the apple was renamed Jonathan after the man who brought it to the attention of the Albany Horticultural Society.  

Why We Grow It: These cheery red apples are crisp, juicy, and sweet. They are good for fresh eating as well as turning into pies and sauce. The fruit also stores quite well, lasting until January/February under optimal conditions.

History: Melba was developed by W.T. Macoun at the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa in 1898. In 1924 it was released commercially and three years later received the Silver Wilder Medal from the American Pomological Society. 

Why We Grow It: Melba is a lovely early market apple or backyard tree for making applesauce! The fruit is yellow with crimson flush and the crisp, white skin has a very sweet flavour.

History: Moorpark apricots were introduced formally some time in the 1700s at the estate of Lord Anson, a Royal Navy officer. They seem to have had a rich history previously, in Italy and England as early as the mid 1500's. They we so enjoyed, Jane Austin mentions it in her classic novel, Mansfield Park. The variety was named after Lord Anson's estate, Moor Park, and has became a staple cultivar ever since.  

Why We Grow It: Moorpark apricots are a particularly popular variety due to their large fruit. The bright orange fruit is sweet and juicy, excellent fresh off the tree. They are also great for canning and drying. 

History: Westfield Seek-No-Further was discovered in Westfield, Massachusets in the 1700s. Its flavour is reminiscent of popular fresh eating apples in England which is probably why this apple was so popular among English colonizers. It was the most popular fresh eating apple in New England during the 1800s.

Why We Grow It: Historically a favourite eating apple, Westfield-Seek-No-Further's sharp, nutty flavour is as unique as its quaint name! It now has potential as an addition to cider blends.

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: Rouville apples were created by R.L. Granger and G.L. Rouselle in 1962 at the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada research centre located in St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. The variety was introduced in 1983.

Why We Grow It: This lovely Quebec cider apple has a wonderful bitter-sweetness that is great for fresh eating and juicing and sauce. It is resistant to scab and has grown very well in our test orchard.

History: Hendre Huffcap was first recorded in England either in 1923 or 1963. The confusion stems from whether it and another variety called Lumberskull, which was recorded first in 1923, are actually the same variety. Hendre Huffcap remains a popular perry pear in England. 

Why We Grow It: This popular English perry pear has endured due to the high quality juice it produces which is great on its own and in blends. The tree bears heavily and reliably, although some thinning is recommended since the branches can break under the weight of its own crops.

History: Butirra Precoce Morettini was bred as a cross between Coscia and Bartlett in 1956 by A. Morettini as part of an Italian breeding program. It is mainly grown in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. 

Why We Grow It: This is an excellent early ripening pear that is sweet and juicy, with crunchy medium-fine grained flesh which mellows in storage to a delectable buttery texture. It has mild floral notes, with just the right amount of sweetness. The tree produces reliable and heavy crops of yellow fruit with a vibrant red flush that store decently well. 

Species: Prunus persica

History: These seedlings are grown from Redhaven peach seeds collected from mother trees growing in Ontario. Redhaven was released from Michigan State University in the 1940s and has remained one of the most popular peach varieties in the world.

Why We Grow It: Seedling fruit trees are a great way to add some diversity and mystery to your garden or orchard! We expect that seedling peaches will be even hardier trees than their parents! Redhaven has a stellar reputation due to its excellent flavour and attractive red skin. See our Redhaven product page here for more information.

Please Note: Since peaches 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: Vaccinium angustifolium

History: Brunswick lowbush blueberry is the second lowbush variety developed at the AAFC Kentville Research and Development Centre in Nova Scotia. It was discovered growing wild on a blueberry farm owned by Shepoddy Blueberry and Lumber Co. in New Brunswick and was selected in 1965 for further testing. Proving to be an excellent variety that grows well and is relatively disease-resistant, it was named for its province of origin and released in 1977.

Why We Grow It: Brunswick produces firm, medium-sized dark blue berries, bursting with sweet flavour. These lowbush blueberries grow into a compact bush, with glossy dark green foliage that turns a lovely red in autumn. Blueberries are great for baking, for example Steph made some wonderful black currant and blueberry tarts that are pictured here!

Species: Caragana arborescens

History: As the name implies, Siberian pea shrubs are native to Siberia but also parts of China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. They came to the US with Eurasian immigrants who used the pods as a source of food while traveling. It has been planted ornamentally and as bonsai, and can be used as erosion control. It is also unfortunately invasive in some parts of the US.

Why We Grow It: A classic permaculture plant! Siberian pea shrubs are nitrogen fixing, very hardy, disease and drought resistant, and, above all, edible. The flowers and young pods can be eaten fresh while the older pods are cooked. The plants are also attractive to pollinators.

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

History: Sapa (translated as 'black' from Lakota) was developed at the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in the US by renowned plant breeder N. E. Hansen and released in 1908. His goal was to create plants hardy enough to grow in the harsh, northern prairies and was one of the first people to start breeding chums. Hansen had a tendency to name his native plant crosses after words from indigenous cultures of the area, choosing the Lakota word for 'black' in this case due to the dark colour of the fruit. 

Why We Grow It: This small, hardy shrub produces purplish fruit with mauve flesh that has a sweet flavour with some tartness. It is good for fresh eating along with a variety of other uses such as cooking, baking, and preserving. It is also quite productive and tends to start bearing fruit at a young age! 

History: Prima is one the apples developed from the collaborative PRI disease-resistant breeding program run by Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. It was introduced in 1958 but unfortunately is no longer fully scab resistant due to the fungus evolving to overcome the resistance since then.

Why We Grow It: Another great apple for organic production and excellent for the backyard or farmer’s market sales! This apple is sweet, juicy, and flavourful and boasts good disease resistance..

Species: Rubus occidentalis

History: Jewel black raspberries were bred by Cornell University in New York in an effort to create productive and vigorous black raspberry varieties. It was bred in 1954 as a cross between Bristol and Dundee black raspberries.

Why We Grow It: Black raspberries are a special treat with less tang than red raspberries, and more of that musky sweetness that black berries (mulberries, blackberries, etc.) have. Steph eats these berries by the handful - delicious! This variety produces nice clusters of sweet juicy berries. The plant itself reaches about a meter high and wide. It can spread over the years, creating a most delicious fence line if you let it!

History: Little is known about this particular variety aside from that it's a Damson plum that originated in Sweden. 'Krikon' is the Swedish word for 'damson.'

Why We Grow It: Although its history is a bit of a mystery, we can certainly tell you that this is the best plum variety for very cold regions. It produces small round deep purple fruit that are good for cooking, preserving, and making jam. The flesh has a spicy, sweet flavour although some do not find it that great for fresh eating. Compared to regular Damson's Krikon Damson is a bit smaller, and more flavourful.

Species: Vaccinium corymbosum, hybridized with V. ashei and V. darrowi

History: Draper blueberries were developed at Michigan State University by renowned plant breeder James Hancock who has also developed several other notable blueberry varieties and other fruits such as the Redhaven peach. He worked with Arlen Draper, a blueberry breeder from the US Department of Agriculture, for 14 years to breed and test different varieties for commercial use, picking Draper due to its many excellent qualities. Named for Arlen Draper, this variety has quickly become an extremely popular commercial variety due to the size and quality of the fruit.

Why We Grow It: Draper produces large, firm fruit with an excellent sweet flavour. They are great for eating fresh or can be used in baking, jams, etc like other blueberries! The large size of the berries makes them good for u-pick orchards and the bushes stay slightly smaller than other highbush varieties! They also store better and longer than other blueberry varieties and ripen at the same time.

Species: Prunus tomentosa

History: Nanking cherry is native to parts of China, Tibet, Korea, and Mongolia, and possibly northern India. It has long been cultivated in Asia for its tart fruit which is used in pickling, making wine, juice, and jam, and as an ornamental plant. It was introduced to Britain in 1870 and the US in 1892 where it is also planted in hedgerows as a windbreak. Breeding programs in the US, Canada, and Russia began in the 1920s to make the fruit more palatable fresh but by the 1940s interest had unfortunately waned. 

Why We Grow It: Although more closely related to plums than cherries, Nanking cherry is great for a variety of uses including wine, juice, jam, and as an ornamental plant thanks to their attractive pinkish-white blossoms. Some enjoy eating the tart fruit fresh as well and they are also popular with birds and wildlife. Nanking cherries are hardy and tolerant of quite cold weather, making them an excellent option for most parts of Canada. 

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! 

History: This is an old perry pear that has been known since the 1800s in Austria and Northern Switzerland. It was first recorded in 1854 and the name Gelbmostler means "yellow most pear."

Why We Grow It: Although the fruit doesn't keep well, it is prized for its high disease resistance, juiciness, and astringent flavour. The skin is greenish-yellow, speckled with russet spots. It has a sugar content of 10-11% by weight.

History: Chisel Jersey is believed to have originated in Martock, England in the 1800s. It spread little outside the immediate area for about a century but during the mid-1900s this apple became quite popular in commercial cider orchards. It has, however, lost some of that renown today despite being an excellent cider apple.

Why We Grow It: With small, green fruit featuring a striped red flush, this bittersweet cider apple is highly recommended in England as well as in Canada. It is high in tannins and sugars but low in malic acid and makes a great cider apple.

Species: Aronia melanocarpa

History: Galicjanka was developed in Poland where Aronia berries are a common agricultural crop. It is one of the most popular varieties grown there due to its suitability for commercial plantations.

Why We Grow It: This variety produces large berries with good flavour. While the berries ripen in August, they can hang onto the bush for a couple months and tend to sweeten over time. Despite its popularity in Poland, it is unfortunately not very common in North America. 

Species: Cornus florida

History: Native to parts of southern Canada, the eastern United States, and parts of Mexico, this shrub is now considered endangered in Ontario due to dogwood anthracnose fungus. Eastern Flowering dogwood has been used by indigenous peoples as a malaria remedy and to produce red dye, practices later adopted by European colonizers. The hard wood is good for products such as golf club heads and mallets among other things. This showy plant has quite the reputation in the US where it is the State tree and/or flower of three states. To add to this, in 1915 forty saplings were given by the US to Japan as part of the 1912-1915 flower exchange between Tokyo and Washington DC. 

Why We Grow It: This small tree is a lovely addition to any property and the small red berries are attractive to various animals, although they are poisonous to humans. The fine-grained wood is also great for intricate carving and the tree has various medicinal uses.

Species: Aronia melanocarpa

History: McKenzie was created by the USDA who, in 1976, planted several seedlings of the variety to evaluate its performance. It was named 'McKenzie' in honour of its first planting site in North Dakota, possibly named after McKenzie County specifically. The variety was officially released in 2008.

Why We Grow It: McKenzie boasts vigorous growth and good production, reliably producing firm blue-black fruit that is tart with an earthy taste. The berry clusters are easy to pick and have a wide range of uses! While the berries ripen in August, they can hang onto the bush for a couple months and tend to sweeten over time.

Species: Ribes uva-crispa

History: Sébastien was developed in Ottawa.

Why We Grow It: This nearly thornless variety excellent red gooseberries that are good for fresh eating or making into pies and jellies. 

History: Mishirasu is an Asian pear from Japan.

Why We Grow It: Mishirasu is a popular variety since the fruit are extra large with a sweet, mild flavour and a nice crunch. The skin is brown and russeted, and the fruit have a roundish shape that is reminiscent of European pears.

Species: Robinia pseudoacacia

History: Native to small portion of the United States, the tree first became known to Western science in 1607 when British colonists in Jamestown used it to build houses. It was introduced to Britain in 1636 and has since been used as a landscaping tree in many countries around the world. It is unfortunately considered invasive in many places due to its intense suckering habit and ability to fix nitrogen, allowing it to thrive even in poor soils. However, its hard wood has many uses and the flowers are eaten in numerous European countries and Japan, and it is used medicinally in India.

Why We Grow It: While this tree is considered invasive to southern Ontario as it grows quickly and aggressively, we feel when it is grown with control and awareness, it can be a powerful ally for the following reasons:

• it is a great pioneer species in ecologically disturbed spaces thanks to its resilience and ability to grow and produce nitrogen
• even in poor soil it provides erosion control with its spreading, shallow root system
• it's a fast growing hardwood
• it is preferred for firewood and furniture (60x more rot resistant than cedar)
• bees appreciate it's showy blooms, which are edible and can be enjoyed in salads, jams, cooking and baking, check out Fiddlehead Nursery's locust-flower patty recipe! 
• On a farm/tended space, they provide valuable shade for livestock, thicken fencerows, provide habitat for wildlife, increase soil health, and add nitrogen, etc. and are easily managed.

However it is strongly advised not to plant in untended bushland due to its quick and aggressive spread, and resilience once it is established in an area making it quite difficult to remove.

History: Brown Snout was discovered on a farm in the UK in the mid-1800s. Its name comes from the brown russet around its calyx. H.P. Bulmer, a cider-making company, further propagated and spread this apple in the UK where it is still used today.

Why We Grow It: This medium bittersweet cider apple has small, uniquely coloured fruit that are sweet, slightly astringent, medium-tannin, and have low acidity. 

Species: Hippophae rhamnoides

History: Sea buckthorn is native to parts of Europe and Asia where it has been a source of food, medicine, and fodder for centuries. These seedlings were grown by us so it will be a bit of a surprise to see what the mature plants are like!

Why We Grow It: If you're looking for a dense, fruiting bush, look no further! These cold-hardy plants are grown from seed, and unlike cultivated varieties it is uncertain whether each seedling is male or female. The nodules on their roots help fix nitrogen into the soil, and the resilient plants are salt tolerant. They can withstand the juglones from walnuts and will reach up to 6 meters tall, forming virtually impermeable thickets if left to their own devices. The berries have a wide range of uses and the leaves can be enjoyed in tea.