Cold Hardy Fruit Trees and Products for Sale

Lycium barbarum Goji (Wolfberry). The berries are reported to have a very high level of antioxidants, especially carotenoids, and can help the body adjust to stress and change.

Coming from high altitudes, the plant is hardy, easy to grow and maintain, and drought tolerant once established. Keep new plants moist until there is 6-8 inches of new growth. Then reduce watering, more for sandy soil, less often for heavy soil. Goji plants need well-drained soil with a pH of 6.8 or higher, and to be safe, should not be fertilized. Extra nitrogen may even kill them.

Like most fruit plants, they prefer full sun. Plants are large shrubs that can grow 7-10 ft tall. May want to trellis/support the long floppy stems or pruning the tips after a couple feet of growth will keep the plant shorter and thicker and produce more flowers and fruit. The numerous trumpet-shaped flowers seen in early summer develop into bright red berries by late summer. Flowering and fruiting will continue until the first heavy frost. Plants flower the year after planting with maximum fruit production in the 4th or 5th year.

USDA zone 3-10 but top branches may winterkill during severe zone 3 winters and regrow in the spring.
Plant shipped may be just a bare root - looks dead but very viable!

DIY Home Growing Tips Video
Plant Abundance Growing Tips
Goji in northern Minnesota videos: Fall Spring
Growing notes
Planting Tips video, MISA info, Wikipedia
Note that we haven't had the greatest success getting much fruit off goji in our zone/conditions. It's more of a novelty bush for us. It is common to eat the leaves in soup in Asia.

Goji Berry 1-2'

1-9 $12.00 USD 10-19 $11.00 USD 20-49 $10.00 USD

Sambucus canadensis American Elderberry, grows 10-12 ft. tall and produces abundant dark purple berries in the fall. Our varieties (Adam II, Bob Gordon, Ranch, Wyldewood) were selected for their large berries and abundant yields. Yields are improved when two or more varieties are planted.


USDA zone 3-8. Note Wyldewood may experience winter die-back in zone 3 and regrow.
UVM production manual * Cornell Univ info * Missouri Extension * Elderberry Possibilities U Missouri Extension * Notes on Pruning Methods * Fotos * Toxicity info, * Survey of benefits * de-stemming
Elderberry presentation with handouts and class notes
Free History of Elderberry Course from growelderberries.com plus Courses for Commercial Growers
* Recipe Gallery ***

Regarding Adams I and Adams II: they were both "discovered" at the same time by William Adams (hence the name) in 1915 and released in 1926. Adams II has smaller berries but they are more productive than Adams I. Adams I had greenish stems and Adams II has reddish stems. Growers in the Midwest usually chose Adams II because they are more productive and were the one that performed better in the research trials in the midwest.

Bob Gordon has large berries and high yield with later, unevening ripening, Adams II has medium sized berries and high yield with early, uneven ripening, Wyldewood is a smaller berry with sweeter taste, and early ripening Ranch is a general all-around good bush with even ripening. See videos Oklohoma Gardening and Blue Fox Farm, Missouri

1-2' plants are pruned to about 20" tall

Adams II - our favorite for zone 3 as seems to ripen earliest

Elderberry Adams II 1-2' tall

1-9 $15.00 USD 10-19 $13.00 USD 20-49 $12.00 USD

Bob Gordon

Elderberry Bob Gordon 1-2' tall

1-9 $15.00 USD 10-19 $13.00 USD 20-49 $12.00 USD

Ranch

Elderberry Ranch 1-2' tall

1-9 $15.00 USD 10-19 $13.00 USD 20-49 $12.00 USD

Wyldewood

Elderberry Wyldewood 1-2' tall

1-9 $15.00 USD 10-19 $13.00 USD 20-49 $12.00 USD

European elderberry - Sambucus nigra subsp. nigra

Marge
- vigorous bush with large berries, a European selection that does grow well in the Midwest (most don't)
- as with most European genotypes, 'Marge' does not fruit on first-year wood, so be patient, but it is worth the wait as future yields outperform the North American varieties.
- In Missouri, "'Marge' achieved budbreak later, flowered earlier, suffered less Eriophyid mite damage, was taller, produced larger berries, and yielded significantly greater amounts of fruit compared with all eight American elderberry genotypes in the study... Fruit harvest occurred at about the same time as most American genotypes." ref: NIH article 2015
- USDA 3-8 (but trialing in zone 3 to see if it ripens before first frost)

Elderberry Marge 2yr

1-9 $15.00 USD 10-19 $13.00 USD 20-49 $12.00 USD

Aronia melanocarpa Viking Aronia, grows 8 ft. tall and produces abundant dark purple berries in the fall. White blossoms adorn the glossy green leaves in the spring. Foliage turns brilliant red in the fall. Berries are very high in anti-oxidants. Zones 3-7 but exposed branches susceptible to winterkill in zone 3. Viking needs 800 chill hours, so probably wouldn't bear fruit in zone 8 (how-far-south-can-aronia-be-grown).

A dry, meaty berry that ripens in the fall, it freezes/processes very nicely. Delicious alone (for those who have acquired the taste!), or make a jazzy jam with fresh Ginger, Lime zest and juice, Aronia, and Maple syrup. More recipes & general info at superberries.com
Note that this berry has a flavor that tastes great in smoothies with dairy products that dissipates the astringency that is similar to chokecherries. Aronia has edible seeds and a tough skin that softens with cooking. In addition to the great health benefits, this berry is the easiest to harvest of all our fruit. Bushes can yield 10-30 lbs and the firm berries do not spoil on the bushes. You can leave them on until late fall. Then the clumps of berries are very easy to pick.
More Info:
Montana State video 2021
Iowa State, Cornell, UMaine, Minnesota MISA Harvard Arboretum.
Health article 2015


Viking Aronia - grows to about 10'x10'. Rejuvenate and control size by pruning at base

Viking Aronia 8-18" tall

1-9 $18.00 USD 10-19 $15.00 USD 20-49 $12.00 USD

McKenzie Aronia - grows to 10+' tall, best selection for shelterbelt as taller and bushier than Viking with slightly larger berries that taste very similar to Viking. Originated at USDA plant breeding program in North Dakota (first planting 1976, released 2008)

McKenzie Aronia 8-18" tall

1-9 $15.00 USD 10-19 $13.00 USD 20-49 $10.00 USD