Baking & Cooking Favourites

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

History: Manor was developed at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba and released in 1945.

Why We Grow It: Manor produces a small plum with skin that is nearly black when ripe and purplish-red flesh. When ripe, the fruit is quite sweet and good for fresh eating! Some prefer to pick it when it is still a little unripe and a bit firmer since it is more astringent and lends itself well to uses such as baking, preserving, and making wine. The shrub stays smaller than other chums but starts bearing fruit at a young age and is known for being quite productive.

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.

Species: Hippophae rhamnoides

History: Mary sea buckthorn, aka Marija Bruvele, is a Latvian variety that was bred by professor of agriculture Andrejs Bruvelis as a cross between the female varieties Botanicheskaya Ljubitelskaya, Chuyskaya, and native male plants from the coastal area of the Baltic Sea. The goal was to create a variety better adapted to maritime climates. The berries are high in oil content so this variety tends to be grown commercially for oil production.

Why We Grow It: A prolific variety that holds onto berries well, prolonging harvest for 4-6 weeks. The berries have a milder flavour compared to other sea buckthorns with much lower acid content. They can be made into a sunshine yellow juice, best diluted 70% with water for a Canadian version of orange juice. It's also nearly thornless, which makes harvesting much easier.

The leaves and young branches are suitable for animal fodder, which we can attest to from the hens that run around our retail area in summer, sampling from our potted sea buckthorn plants whenever Steph isn't around to chase them away. Sea Buckthorn 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 its vicinity.

Species: Asparagus officinalis

History: The parent of these seedlings, Mary Washington, was introduced by the US Department of Agriculture in California in 1949. Named after George Washington's mother, it is part of the Washington series of asparagus. Fittingly, it remains one of the most popular varieties of asparagus in the US today. These seedlings may vary from their parents but should bear similar traits!

Why We Grow It: We love offering seedlings as a way to add some diversity to the plants being grown! The parent variety Mary Washington is known for producing large quantities of uniform spears in the spring. They have an excellent nutty and buttery flavour and are known for being resistant to rust. They are hardy against both cold and heat.

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

History: Mavor sunchokes are of unknown origin since they were kindly given to us by a local customer named A. Mavor. We were impressed with the large size and flavour of this variety and wanted to make them available to more customers, so are offering them under the name Mavor as thanks to the person who gave them to us.

Why We Grow It: Mavor sunchokes produce large, knobby tubers that are great for cooking in all the same ways you would cook a potato. At least in our soil, some of the tubers produce have a nice reddish tinge to the skin. The tubers store quite well in the fridge. It is a quick growing variety and, like other sunchokes, can spread quite aggressively if left unmanaged.

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.

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.

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.

History: Meigetsu is an Asian pear that originated in Japan. The word 'meigetsu' roughly translates to 'beautiful moon' or 'grand moon.' Its name could also be a shortened version of 'Chushu no Meigetsu,' the Japanese name for the harvest moon in September. 

Why We Grow It: Meigetsu Asian pears are pleasantly sweet with the flavour and aroma being compared to pineapples, watermelon, and butterscotch. The flesh is somewhat softer than other Asian pears, making the texture more akin to that of European pears. 

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.

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: 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: Prunus sp

History: These seedlings are grown from Mirabelle plum seeds collected from our orchard. Mirabelle has been grown in Europe for a long time and remains popular there, especially in France.

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, Mirabelle, is super sweet and flavourful. For a more detailed description, see the Mirabelle 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: Likely cultivated from a wild plum growing in Asia, Mirabelle plums are a specialty of the Lorraine region in France where they are still primarily grown today. They are very popular in Europe and the French city of Metz has an annual Mirabelle Festival that spans two weeks. In 2006, the French city of Nancy created the world's longest Mirabelle tart which measured over 200m in length. 

Why We Grow It: It's no why wonder that this European plum is so popular. Mirabelle plums are super sweet and flavourful with soft juicy flesh. The medium-sized yellow fruit is exquisite as a dessert plum, but can also be used in jams, chutneys and schnapps.

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!

Species: Prunus persica

History: These peach seedlings are grown from peach seeds from the very trees we have in our orchards! The parents will be a mix of the Harrow Diamond, Redhaven, Reliance, Veteran, and seedling peaches from True Root Nursery. 

Why We Grow It: Peach seedlings tend to stay fairly true to type so odds are you're going to get a pretty solid peach tree once they mature and it is hoped that growing them from seed here will make them a littler hardier! For those who prefer the certainty that comes with getting a named variety, these trees would also be great for grafting as rootstock, feeding wildlife, or planting along a fence line.

History: Montmorency sour cherries date back over 400 years, originating in the Montmorency Valley in France. From there they spread to England and eventually to North America where they are the most commonly grown sour cherry by far. Products that contain sour cherries are almost guaranteed to use this variety.

Why We Grow It: It's hard to ignore such a classic and beloved sour cherry. Montmorency produces bright red cherries that are perfect for making cherry pie, preserves, and jams. Montmorency is an amarelle cherry.

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

Species: Vitis sp. (hybrid)

History: Montreal Blues is one of the many varieties created by renowned grape breeder Elmer Swenson in Osceola, Wisconsin, as part of his effort to breed cold hardy grapes suitable for growing in the colder climates of North America. This variety was released in 1998 and in some areas is also known as St. Theresa, named for Saint Therese of Lisieux who was a French nun who planted flowers to show her love of God. 

Why We Grow It: This variety produces large clusters of blue, Concord-like grapes with a nice, mild sweet flavour. They are quite cold hardy and can be made into pies, jams, or juice!

History: Montrose's parent tree was discovered growing in Montrose, California, by Lloyd Rosenvold after he purchased the land in 1952. He was surprised to find a large apricot tree growing quite high up on a hill in an area where the winters could get quite cold, yet the tree still produced large crops of excellent fruit. When he moved to Idaho in 1966, Rosenvold took seeds from the apricots of this tree to see how they would fare in an even colder climate. The best of these trees he named 'Montrose.'

Why We Grow It: Montrose produces medium to large freestone apricots that are yellow with a pleasant red blush. They have an excellent sweet flavour and even the pit is edible, being similar to an almond. Most importantly for us, these trees are quite hardy and bloom late, making them more reliable in our climate compared to other varieties. 

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: As the name suggests, Mount Royal plums originated in the Montreal area where it was either found by French colonizers as a wild chance seedling or intentionally bred by Jesuit missionaries and French colonizers using plums brought over from Europe. Either way, the result is a lovely plum hardy enough to survive Canadian winters.

Why We Grow It: This European plum is a Canadian classic of excellent flavour and good cold-hardiness. The fruit is blue-skinned with jammy yellow flesh that is both sweet and spicy. The tree produces heavy crops. 

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: Mutsu apples (aka Crispin) were developed in the 1930s at the Aomori Apple Experiment Station in Japan as a cross between Golden Delicious and Indo apples, the same parentage as its sister apple Shizuka. This variety was named after Mutsu Province which was the previous name for the area where it was grown and released in 1949.

Why We Grow It: Mutsu apples have a lot going for them. They have a delicious sweet-tart flavour which is great for fresh eating and the golden yellow skin is quite attractive. The fruit itself is very large and keeps its shaped when cooked, making it an excellent choice for baking. The apples even store well, lasting all winter.

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: 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: Norhey comes from the Morden Research Station, Agriculture Canada. It was created by Dr. C. R. Ure in the 60's to survive the harsh prairie winters. It was introduced in 1975.

Why We Grow It: It seems Dr. Ure was successful since this is about the hardiest apple we've come across. The fruit has green skin that turns yellow after picking. It's fair for fresh eating, good for cooking and juicing with sweet, sub acid flavours and creamy crisp flesh. The tree has consistent, heavy crops.

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: Norland apples were created by Dr. C.R. Ure and introduced in 1979 by the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Morden, Manitoba. 

Why We Grow It: Since this variety was bred to survive in the prairies, it is very cold hardy. The fruit is medium-sized with sweet flesh that is good for fresh eating or applesauce. It bears heavy annual crops starting early in the life of the tree. A home orchardist in Dacre, ON described the fruit as "lovely with no pest damage; juicy, creamy-fleshed with excellent flavour."

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!