Other small Berries (Berries, minor fruits and fruit trees)

Eclipse asparagus, developed by Prof. David Wolyn, Univ. of Guelph, Canada, has become a major contributor to the Quebec / Ontario asparagus industry.  Named "Seed of the Year" in 2005 at the Royal Winter Fair in toronto.   In our trial, Millennium has been productive, with high quality spears, tender, and has good flavor.  Thought to be best adapted to heavier soils, but results from our grower survey indicate success with a wide range of soil types.  We recommend trials under your conditions to assess its performance. 

We offer you the 100% male hybrid Millenium asparagus cultivar which, after four seasons of complete cultivation, gives the best yield. Very good hardiness.

The Black Chokeberry is a suckering and very hardy shrub, native to eastern North America. In the past, the Indians used their berries for food and medicine. Nowadays, it is considered a superfood because of its richness in antioxidants.

Hardiness zone: 3b
At maturity: 1 to 2m high
                    1.5m wide
Flowering: May
Fruiting: August - September
Production age: 3 - 4 years
Fruit: Produces black globular berries up to 6-8 mm in diameter.
Light: full sun and light shade
Use: windbreak, medicine, processing (juice...)

Aronia is a genus of deciduous shrubs, the chokeberries, in the family Rosaceae, native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps. Chokeberries are cultivated as ornamental plants and as food products. The sour berries can be eaten raw off the bush, but are more frequently processed. They can be found in wine, jam, syrup, juice, soft spreads, tea, salsa, chili starters, extracts, beer, ice cream, gummies and tinctures.The name "chokeberry" comes from the astringency of the fruits, which create a sensation making one's mouth pucker. Aronia berries and chokecherries are both high in polyphenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, yet the two plants are distantly related within the Rosaceae family.

Black chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa (Photinia melanocarpa), tends to be smaller, rarely exceeding 1 m tall and 3 m wide, and spreads readily by root sprouts. The leaves are smaller, not more than 6-cm wide, with terminal glands on leaf teeth and a glabrous underside. The flowers are white, 1.5 cm wide, with glabrous sepals. The fruit is black, 6–9 mm wide, not persisting into winter. Aronia is considered cold hardy and heat tolerant in USDA Zones 2b to 8, same for canadian hardiness map. Aronia plants grow well both in orchard-type rows or set as landscape elements, including several varieties in 3 to 12 foot heights. Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) has attracted scientific interest due to its deep purple, almost black pigmentation that arises from dense contents of polyphenols, especially anthocyanins. Total polyphenol content is 1752 mg per 100 g in fresh berries,anthocyanin content is 1480 mg per 100 g, and proanthocyanidin concentration is 664 mg per 100 g.These values are among the highest measured in plants to date.

Masses of white flowers are followed by clusters of large black fruit that persist throughout the winter. Flowers earlier than other varieties. Lustrous dark glossy green foliage offers wonderful fall color. Highly adaptable and deer resistant. Excellent for mixed borders or as a naturalizing plant. The cultivar ‘Viking’ was first developed for use in European orchards, and is prized for its dense clusters of large fruits with less astringent, more flavorful taste. 'Viking' is also valued for its ability to self-pollinate and resistance to insects and disease. The berries of this cultivar are harvested for use in pies, jams, jellies and wines.

This very hardy cultivar grows with long, decorative red stems. A perennial, it should be grown in a bed rather than with other annual vegetables. Preferably grown in cool, well loosened, humus-rich soil. Harvest 2 years after planting, in spring, when stems are tender and delicious.

This shrub has persistent leaves and reaches a maximum height of 30 cm. With good care, it can live up to 100 years. Its creeping branches can grow to 80 cm. Small oval flowers are pink when they bloom; they grow towards the ground and look a little like crane heads. Cranberries are red and about 2 cm in diameter, and are easily preserved in their natural state. They are also sold as pure or mixed juice, and dried. They are rich in vitamin C and antioxidants.

The Steven variety is the most popular for northern regions, with large, round, bright-red berries. Its foliage is light green and turns reddish in winter. Mid-season harvest yields 1.52 g berries.

Suited for zone 4b-5a

blooms in early summer which turn into scarlet red fruit mid-summer and into the fall. This super fruit is juicy and sweet. Drought tolerant. Upright arching growth habit reaching 5 to 8'. Thornless. Self-pollinating.

(Lycium barbarum) Also known as Matrimony Vine, this attractive Chinese native is a sometimes spiney, viney shrub that grows 8-10' in height. Light purple, bell-shaped flowers bloom in May and continue throughout the summer. Flowers are followed by orange-red berries. In China these sweet and nutritious berries are eaten fresh and dried like raisins. The berries are among the highest in anti-oxidants, have more carotene than carrots, and contain all the essential amino acids and many minerals . Chinese Wolfberry is self-fertile and drought resistant, and likes full to half-day sun and well-drained soil. It does especially well in seaside locations.

MacDonald rhubarb is a vigourous variety with an upright growth of large tender light red and green stalks.  Best planted in groups of 3.

Root-rot resistant.

Schisandra chinensis is a valuable climber native to China, Korea and Mongolia, grown for ornamental and medicinal purposes as well as for consumption. It has handsome elliptic or oval deep green leaves with red petioles. The fruits ripen from mid August to mid September and are bright red berries gathered in grape-like clusters.

Hardiness zone : 5

Shepherdia, commonly called buffaloberry or bullberry, is a genus of small shrubs in the Elaeagnaceae family. The plants are native to northern and western North America. They are non-legume nitrogen fixers. The plant is a deciduous shrub found in open forests and thickets. The shrub reaches a height of 1–4 m (3.3–13.1 ft)

The genus has three species

Shepherdia argentea — silver buffaloberry
Shepherdia canadensis — Canada buffaloberry
Shepherdia rotundifolia — roundleaf buffaloberry, endemic to southern Utah and northern Arizona

Fruit

The berry is recognizable by being a dark shade of red, with little white dots on them. They are rough to the touch, and are found on both trees and shrubs.

Wildlife

The plants have rather bitter-tasting berries. The fruit are often eaten by bears, which by legend, prefer the berries to maintain fat stores during hibernation.

Buffaloberries are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the engrailed moth (recorded from S. canadensis) and Coleophora elaeagnisella.

Culinary

Buffaloberries are edible by humans. They are quite sour, and afterwards leave the mouth a little dry. A touch of frost sweetens the berries. They can be made into jelly, jam, or syrup, soups, or prepared like cranberry sauce from berries.

http://www.businessinsider.com/buffaloberry-is-the-new-superfruit-2013-11