|
|
EDIBLE LANDSCAPING PLANTS |
|
|
|
|
Landscaping shouldn't be limited to the same old shrubbery. Have fun with your yard! Design a miniature wildlife refuge... Make some wild jams & jellies ...
|
Plants Listed:
Buffaloberry — Shepherdia argentea
Note:
Looking for currants? See our new currant section for gooseberries and
Looking for wild-type native shrubs for naturalizing? Click this link: native shrubs |
Homestead Hawthorn — Cretaegus mollis2 to 3 ft. trees $6.00 each, $50 Package of 10The small (15 ft. at maturity) tree is extremely
hardy and attractive with its long thorns, pretty Spring flowers, ornamental
fruit and brilliant Fall color. Hawthorn berries have long been used in
herbal medicine, and birds also enjoy them. Plant 15 feet apart, or 6 to
8 feet apart for a hedge.
|
Nannyberry (Wild Raisin) — Viburnum lentago2 ft. plants $6.50 each, $50 package of 10At least two plants required for pollination.About 8 to10 feet when fully grown, this attractive bush bears a sweet flat-seeded berry. Good to eat, if you can beat the birds to the crop. Extremely hardy. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart |
Aronia or Black Chokeberry — Aronia melanocarpa"Nero" — 1 to 2 ft plants $7.50 each, $60 package of 10"Viking" — 1 to 2 ft. plants $7.50 each, $60 package of 10Aronia berries contain the highest know levels of antioxidants of any temperate fruit — five times higher than blueberry or cranberry — and also contain strong anticancer compounds. Nero and Viking are cultivars that produce a fruit that is reputedly used in Russia for pie production, and can also be processed into juice. The berries are astringent when eaten fresh but the taste improves once processed. Will reach a height of 5 feet. Plant 6 ft. apart, or 3 to 4 ft. apart for a hedge. For native plantings or for a pollinator, see also our unselected Wild Chokeberry. |
Northrop Mulberry — Morus alba2 to 3 ft. trees $16.00 eachNorthrop is the hardiest mulberry we've found. The parent tree was planted on the Northrop farm in the 1850's. Its location is just outside of Potsdam, and it is the only mulberry for 70 miles in all directions. It is now over 2 1/2 feet in diameter and 70 feet tall. These plants are propagated via tissue culture rather than by grafting, so they are genetically identical to the parent from root to tip. Even though Northrop exhibits great hardiness, (it has survived minus 50 degrees F.,) young plants may take some winter dieback due to extremely rapid growth in their first few seasons. With care, Northrop can fruit in 3 to 5 years. Self-fertile. |
|
|
Rugosa Rose — Rosa rugosa1 to 2ft. plants $6.50 each, $55 package of 10At least two plants required for pollination.A strong grower and tolerant to salt and sandy soil, this ornamental rose bush will reach a height of 3 to 6 feet. It blooms fragrantly throughout the summer, producing large, mild-flavored hips with an extremely high vitamin C content. The hips can be dried for tea or used for jam, jelly, syrup, and sauces. Rosa rugosa is the hardiest rose known, withstanding -50oF. with no damage. Plant 1 to 2 feet apart for hedge. |
|
|
|
| Wild type/unsexed —
1 to 3 ft. plants $5.00 each Plant
several to ensure pollination and fruiting.
Harvest Moon — 1 ft. plants $15.00 each Female. From the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Fewer thorns, compact growth, easier picking. Plant with a male or with several wild-type, unsexed plants. Orange September — 1 ft. plants $15.00 each Another selection from Canada. Higher sugar content (13.7 brix). Plant with a male or with several wild-type, unsexed plants. Male Sea Buckthorn — 1 to 2 ft. plants $15.00 each At last, a sexed male to ensure a beautiful set of berries on your females. Will pollinate all Sea Buckthorn within 50 to 100 ft. Sea Buckthorn Package: 2 Harvest Moon, 2 Orange September,
1 Male — $67.50
|
|
Wild Juneberry or Serviceberry — Amelanchier alnifolia & canadensis2 to 3 ft. plants $6.00 each, $50 package of 10At least two plants required for pollination.These are unselected (wild-type) seedlings. The fruit, while it is smaller and less abundant than that of the selected Juneberry or "Saskatoon" varieties, is very attractive to wildlife. Also known as Shadblow, this native shrub, more like a small tree, is the first to adorn the Spring landscape, bursting forth with a profusion of smalll white flowers. The fruit is similar to a blueberry. Fall foliage is striking red splashed with yellow and orange. The lowbush form, Amelanchier alnifolia, grows best in the western states, whereas the highbush form, Amelanchier canadensis, is best for eastern locations. Alnifolia grows to 6-10 feet and should be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart; canadensis reaches 20-25 feet and should be planted at least 6 to 8 feet apart. |
Siberian Pea Shrub — Caragana arborescens1 to 2 ft. plants $6.00 each, $50 package of 10At least two plants required for pollination.A member of the legume family, this attractive shrub is nitrogen-fixing, extremely hardy and produces small podded peas about the size of elderberries. The ``peas'' are reportedly 36% protein and could be used for flour, sprouts or animal (particularly chicken) feed. Mature height is 10 to12 ft.; may be kept shorter by pruning. Spacing should be 8 to15 feet, or 4-6 feet apart for a hedge. |
|
|
Wayfaring Bush — Viburnum lantana3 to 4 ft. plants $6.00 eachAt least two plants required for pollination.A rounded shrub about 8 to 12 ft. high with an 8 - 12 ft. spread when mature. The coarse, symmetrical texture of the leaves, downy shoots, and noticeable buds at each axil make this a visually interesting plant. Early blooming panicles of flowers give way to flat clusters of yellow-green berries that turn red and then black. Birds enjoy the fruit.
|
American Highbush Cranberry — Viburnum trilobum1 to 3 ft. plants $6.00 each, $50 package of 10Used for jams, preserves and to attract wildlife, the "cranberry" bush is not a true cranberry but rather a Viburnum, related to the Nannyberry. Fruit is bright red and hangs in large clusters long after the leaves are gone, contrasting nicely against the light-colored stems and yellow buds and making an attractive dense winter hedge, which will reach 6-10 feet. Highbush cranberry thrives on a variety of soil types, even slightly wet areas (but not in a bog or swamp). Plant 3 to5 ft. apart for a hedge.Wentworth Highbush Cranberry — Viburnum trilobum2 ft. plants $8.00 eachA selection of the native highbush cranberry with less tartness to the fruit. Berries are bright red and are borne in large clusters that are particularly ornamental against a background of winter white. Bushes reach 6-10 feet and make a great hedge. |
Winterberry — Ilex verticulata2 to 3 ft. plantsFemale "Winter Red" $7.00 eachMale $5.50 each$60 for package of 10 (8 female, 2 male)At least one male and one female required for pollination.A bright flash of color in an otherwise barren landscape, winterberry shows up best in late Fall. This northern holly loses its leaves but produces scarlet red berries which hug the stem, lasting well into winter to provide food for hungry birds. The boughs make beautiful decorations for the Winter Solstice season. Mature plants will reach 6 to 8 feet. Winterberry plants are male or female; only females make berries, but both are neccesary for fruiting. Plant males 2 to 10 feet from females or plant 1 of each sex in the same hole to ensure pollination. |
Staghorn Sumac — Rhus typhina1 to 2 ft. plants $6.50 each, $55 package of 10Grown from local Zone 3 seed, sumac is a native edible ornamental. "Rhus-ade" made from ripe seed heads is similar to lemonade and very high in vitamin C. The shrub is fast-growing and will often form thickets. The individual plants grow 10-12 feet tall in cold climates, taller in warmer climates. It prefers upland sites with good drainage, and does not do well in heavy, wet soils. Fall foliage is a stumming deep crimson and the soft, beautiful yellow-green wood, when 2-3 inches in diameter, is ideal for carving. Plant 2 to 5 feet apart. |