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Species: Actinidia arguta

History: Geneva hardy kiwi was discovered growing in the Dr. Slate collection near the Cornell Experimental Station in Geneva, New York. It is named after the city of Geneva. A series of Geneva kiwis was bred and Geneva 3 was selected as the best-performing amongst all of them.

Why We Grow It: This variety produces medium-sized fruit with smooth skin so you can eat the whole kiwi! The delicious, honey-scented fruit can be enjoyed out of hand like grapes or made into preserves. You can also use it make a delicious and nutritious popsicle by pureeing it with some applesauce (or your favourite fruit) and a dab of honey, pouring it into molds, and freezing it. This vigorous vine can reach up for 40' long, so be prepared to prune, or trellis over 50lb of fruit per season. 

History: The Geneva crabapple was developed in the 1930s in collaboration with the Ottawa Experimental Farm and the New York State Agricultural Research Station based in Ottawa. The creation of this crabapple was head by Isabella Preston who specialized in creating cold-hardy ornamental plants.

Why We Grow It: This attractive crabapple has deep maroon flesh. The tree itself is quite visually appealing, sporting red leaves and bright pink flowers in the spring. The taste is reminiscent of rhubarb and is suitable for cooking as well. As it is a low sugar/high acid juice, it is best blended with another high sugar variety for cider. It also adds a nice red hue to blends.

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: Prunus sp

History: These seedlings are grown from German plum seeds collected from our orchard. Likely a few centuries old, German plums are a classic prune style plum that are great for traditional German desserts.

Why We Grow It: Seedling fruit trees are a great way to add some diversity and mystery to your garden or orchard! The parent of this variety, German plum, is sweet and aromatic. It is good for eating fresh and great for drying or baking. For a more detailed description, see the German plum page on our website here.

Please Note: Since plums 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: Little is known about the history of Giant of Zagreb aside from the fact that it originated in the former country of Yugoslavia. Its country of origin suggests it was developed some time in the 20th century since the nation only lasted from 1918-1992. It was named for Zagreb, a major Yugoslavian city that is now the capital of Croatia.

Why We Grow It: The fruit of Giant of Zagreb are large with greenish-yellow skin and firm white flesh. The flavour is mild for a quince, although this isn't saying much. For those who have never tasted quince, it is a sour-raspberry flavoured experience not soon forgotten. As the flavour profile suggests, it is best used in baking, jellies, sauces (quince sauce or added to apple sauce), or candied. This is one of the hardiest varieties of quince available.

Shopping for someone else but not sure what to give them?
Give them the gift of a sustainable future with a Silver Creek Nursery gift card!

Recipients may choose from any of the products listed on our website, including a wide range of edible plants. Would they like cherry trees? Perhaps they are looking for apple rootstock? Maybe they want to try a fruit tree grafting course? We have you covered!

Gift cards are delivered by email and contain instructions to redeem them at checkout.
Our gift cards have no additional processing fees.

A printable PDF is available HERE if you want to give the recipient a physical gift! 

PLEASE NOTE: The printable PDF does not count as a gift certificate, you will need to pass the code on to the recipient. We will not accept the printable page as payment unless the recipient also provides the sixteen-digit gift card code.

History: Gin pears were first recorded in England in 1886. It was said the perry made from this pear had a juniper flavour, hence the name 'Gin.' It it still quite popular in parts of England. 

Why We Grow It: The small fruit of this pear are used chiefly for perry, producing a good quality juice of medium tannins and acidity. The harvested fruit can be kept up to a month until pressing.

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.

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 Delicious was discovered by chance on a family farm in West Virginia and sold in 1914 to the Stark Brothers Nurseries. It has since become one of the most popular apples in North America. Since 1972, Clay County, where the apple was found, has hosted an annual Golden Delicious Festival and in 1995 it was declared the state fruit of West Virginia. Golden Delicious is also the parent of many varieties, including prominent ones such as Ambrosia and Gala.

Why We Grow It: It is easy to see why this apple is so popular with its attractive golden yellow skin and sweet, crisp cream-coloured flesh. Golden Delicious is a favourite for fresh eating, sauce, and apple butter. On top of that, it is resistant to scab, powdery mildew, and fire blight.

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.

History: The origins of Golden Russet are unclear, but we know it was discovered in New York in the first half of the 1800s. It may have come from the seedling of an English russet variety and could have Ashmead's Kernel parentage. It was grown commercially for some time before falling out of favour, although it has regained some popularity recently due to its strengths in cider production.

Why We Grow It:  With both lots of sweetness and acidity, Golden Russet is one of our favourites for fresh eating. The flavourful juice from these apples is also great for making cider. The thick russetted skin discourages insect damage and it is resistant to scab, canker, and powdery mildew. Its tip-bearing habit gives these hardy trees a wispy appearance.

History: Golden Sentinel was developed at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, BC. It was first bred in 1986 as part of a breeding program to create high quality columnar apples. It underwent further testing until 1997, after which it was eventually released.  

Why We Grow It: Golden Sentinel is wonderful for a variety of reasons! It produces attractive, large yellow apples with a sweet flavour reminiscent of Golden Delicious. The fruit can be eaten fresh or used for baking. Its columnar growth habit means it stays quite thin, making it a great option for container growing and/or those with limited space. This variety is also quite disease resistant. 

History: Golden Spice was developed by the University of Minnesota and introduced in 1949. It has Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) heritage, a separate species from standard European pears (Pyrus communis).

Why We Grow It: Golden Spice is a Ussurian variety with excellent cold-hardiness. The fruit is small and yellow with a sweet, spicy flavour. It is resistant to fireblight.

History: Goldrush was bred specifically for scab resistance as part of the collaborative PRI disease-resistant breeding program run by Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. It was developed in the 1970s and released in 1994. This variety has a complex heritage of Golden Delicious mixed with a cross of several other varieties for their disease resistance.

Why We Grow It: This is arguably the best scab-resistant variety released from the PRI Breeding Program as far as flavour is concerned. The dense, crisp flesh of this yellow apple is full of sugars and flavour. It is distinctly spicy and tart at first but mellows the longer it is in storage. The fruit stores exceptionally well. This truly multi-purpose apple is also great for drying and, unusually for a modern variety, is good in hard cider.

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. 

A good grafting knife is an essential tool for anyone interested in grafting. They are quite sharp so they can cleanly slice through scionwood and rootstock, and have a single bevel which is preferred for grafting. 

We offer the following options:

Victorinox Grafting Knife (Right- or Left-Handed) - Made of stainless steel, this grafting knife is a good quality, economical, lightweight knife for beginners and casual users. Available in red (left-handed) or green (right0handed). 

Victorinox Grafting and Budding Knife with Brass Bark Lifter (Right-Handed) - This stainless steel knife is designed for grafting and budding. It features a uniquely shaped stainless steel blade with a bark lifter along with a separate brass bark lifter. 

NO LONGER AVAILABLE - Victorinox Grafting and Budding Knife (Right-Handed) - This stainless steel knife is designed for grafting and budding. It features a flat-tipped stainless steel blade with a bark lifter. 

Buddy tape is a flexible, rubbery tape holds bench grafts together and keeps in moisture! We have two options available:

1. Packs of 50 pieces - each piece is 30mm x 75mm
2. Individual rolls (perforated) - each roll is 60m long and has ~850 pieces of 30mm x 75mm sections of tape

To use this tape, simply wrap it around the graft union slowly moving it up and down around the union to ensure none of the cambium is exposed to the air. You can then rip a tiny bit off the end and use it to seal the tip of your scionwood as well so it doesn't dry out.

The tape will naturally biodegrade over time and fall off from the tree. However, be careful not to wrap the tree too tightly such that the tape becomes a thin strand rather than stays flat. This may begin to girdle your tree, a lesson we unfortunately learned the hard way.

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: 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.

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.

Species: Morus sp

History: Grandpa Harold mulberries are named in memory of Steph's grandfather, whose property houses the mulberry tree we collected these cuttings from. The tree came from Steph's father, who collected mulberry seeds from a tree near Hawkesville and gave one of the resulting seedlings to Grandpa Harold. The tree has provided ample fruit for years and now delights Grandpa Harold's great-grandchildren. The cuttings were taken out of sentimental value as the property where it is growing may be sold in the future.

Why We Grow It: Overall Grandpa Harold is a fairly standard mulberry, producing delightfully sweet berries that are great for fresh eating and baking, but its special sentimental value makes it taste that much sweeter. 

History: Granny Smith was discovered by Maria Ann "Granny" Smith as a chance seedling on her and her husband's farm in Australia in 1868. Having grown from apple seeds she had tossed, she found it to be an exceptional apple. She propagated it and brought the apples to market, earning the variety local popularity. She passed away two years later but local growers kept the variety going until it was noticed by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in 1895. Thanks to its excellent shelf life, it became an important agricultural export and remains one of the most popular apple varieties in the world today. There has been an annual Granny Smith Festival in Eastwood since 1985 to commemorate Maria Ann Smith and her apple that attracts over 80k attendees each year.

Why We Grow It: This classic green apple barely needs an introduction! It is well known for its sweet and sharp flavour that is a delight for fresh eating and for its usage in cooking and baking. As an added bonus, Granny Smith also keeps well in storage and tends to start producing fruit at a young age.

History: Greengage plums are a European variety that originated in Iran, although it is unclear exactly how old they are. They were introduced to England via France in 1724 by Sir William Gage, after whom they were named in English when the French labels were supposedly lost in transit. These sweet plums were later brought to North American colonies where they were grown by prominent figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Although they have since fallen out of favour in North America, they are still quite popular in western Europe and occasionally referenced in pop culture. Greengage plums are the namesake of The Greengage Summer, a 1958 novel and subsequent 1961 film, and are mentioned in a Monty Python sketch. 

Why We Grow It: It is a shame this plum's popularity declined in North America since it is considered a high-quality dessert fruit, possibly even the best dessert plum. Their bright green flesh is incredibly sweet and can also be used for cooking and preserving. Greengage plum trees tend to have a compact growth habit, great for anyone without a lot of space.

History: Grimes Golden was discovered on the Grimes farm in what is now West Virginia in 1832. Local legend claims that it grew from a seed planted by John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. After its discovery, it was widely planted up until the 1930s when it became supplanted by more popular varieties such as its (likely) descendant, Golden Delicious. 

Why We Grow It: Although less popular now than Golden Delicious, many claim that Grimes Golden has a superior flavour: sweeter and with a hint of spice. The fruit is great for fresh eating and making cider, and it stores quite well. The tree is moderately resistant to fire blight and mildew.  

Are you thinking of growing fruit trees? Are you in a hurry to enjoy a delicious organic harvest? Fruit trees don’t grow overnight, but the choices you make and the care you give them can speed up the process. You don’t need a degree in horticulture, and you don’t need to use toxic sprays. Growing fruit trees successfully is simply a matter of knowing what to do and when to do it—and if you know what to look for, your trees will tell you exactly what they need.

This book is for you if you:

• Want to grow fruit trees (like apple, peach, pear, cherry, apricot and plum)
• Are looking for easy techniques that will give you abundant harvests
• Don’t have a lot of time to devote to fruit tree care
• Have never planted a thing
• Are an experienced gardener
• Want to avoid the frustration of trial-and-error learning

If your goal is to grow fruit trees fast, take an hour to read this book. Follow the simple steps inside and you’ll be enjoying a healthy harvest in record time.

Growing Figs in Cold Climates is a complete, full-color, illustrated guide to organic methods for growing delicious figs in cold climates, well outside the traditional hot, arid home of this ancient fruiting tree. Coverage includes:

• Five methods for growing figs in cold climates including overwintering
• Cultivar selection for cool and cold climates
• Pruning techniques for a variety of methods of growing figs in cold climates
• Pest problems and solutions
• Harvesting, including ways to speed ripening, identify ripe fruit, and manage an overabundance
• Small-scale commercial fig production in cold climates.

Fresh figs are juicy, full-bodied, and filled with a honey-sweet flavor, and because truly ripe figs are highly perishable, they are only available to those who grow their own.

By choosing the right cultivars and techniques, figs can be grown across cool and cold growing zones of North America, Europe, and beyond, putting them within reach of almost every gardener. Easy and delicious — if you can grow a houseplant, you can grow a fig.

Fruit trees are delicate and need specialized care, especially when they’re planted in an urban environment, which comes with its own unique challenges. Whether you want to plant a single fruit tree or an entire orchard, this book will show you how to save time and money and be successful right from the start.

Susan Poizner lives in Toronto, and is an excellent resource to anyone seeking to plant fruit trees in their back-yard. We find her book easy to read with clear, concise information and excellent pictures and diagrams.

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: Celtis occidentalis

History: Hackberries can be found in parts of southern Canada and in the eastern and central United States. The berries produced by the tree are commonly eaten by winter birds and mammals like squirrels. Indigenous peoples traditionally eat the berries raw or use them in several dishes. Although they tolerate urban conditions well, they are relatively uncommon as street trees except in Sombor, Serbia, and Bratislava, Slovakia where they have been planted extensively.

Why We Grow It: These beautiful native trees resemble the American elm, but without the disease issues. Both birds and butterflies enjoy this tree. The sweet small fruit taste like dates with a large crunchy pit that can be eaten or discarded. Thanks to their unusually high levels of proteins, calories, and vitamins, they are a great food source. You can learn more about Hackberries as a food source via this blog post by Alan Bergo.