Hardiness Zone 2a perennials

[mekennedy1313]

I am embarking on the development of a food forest and am looking for perennials suitable for zone 2a in NE Ontario Canada. Any help identifying suitable options is appreciated. I already have wild roses, blueberries, service berry. I am aware of Haskap and trying to get some.

[rego]

Here are some things known to be extremely cold hardy:
Siberian pea shrub
rhus aromatica
buffalo berry
bilberry
cranberry
honeyberry
rosa rugosa
highbush cranberry
watercress
jerusalem artichokes
arctic kiwi (kolomikta)
Are you familiar with the plants for a future database?
good luck.

[mekennedy1313]

Thanks for the reply, I should have mentioned I also have Siberian Pea and Highbush Cranberry as well as raspberry. Haskap and Honeyberry is basically the same as I understand it, just different varieties. Rhus aromatica I am not familiar with. I thought the sumacs were toxic. Jerusalem artichokes I have heard of but have no experience with. Have heard both that they are edible and that they are indigestible. Is it a matter of variety, preparation ?? Have also heard of the arctic kiwi, related to gooseberry and currents isn't it? Don't have the water for watercress but it's on the radar for development with an aquaponics scheme. Bilberry is notoriously difficult and so close to the abundant blueberries that grow all around that I'll stick with the blueberry. The silver buffaloberry looks interesting.

[rego]

Jerusalem artichokes grow like crazy. I have had plants give up to 5 kilos. They do make some people fart, but the taste is really good. Here in Denmark they are sold as a gourmet vegetable. You can eat them raw, they have a nice nutty taste and a crunch similar to waterchestnuts. Cooked they turn sweet and make a very fulfilling soup pured and creamed.
Look up sumac lemonade, I haven't tried it but it looks and sound refreshing.
The arctic kiwi is a relative of the fuzzy kiwi, not related to gooseberries. It is often sold as an ornamental. But as the male plant flowers most prolifically, he is often the only one to be sold. You will need both sexes to have fruit. The fruit is about the size of a grape and should be sweeter than the ordinary kiwi. You don't have to peel them as the skin is smooth and thin. Mine unfortunately hasn't fruited yet, so I cannot report subjectively on taste.

[mekennedy1313]

Ok, regarding the JA, if it's the tuber you harvest and that is what the next years crop comes from as a perennial doesn't that undo the perennial nature? If a plant gives 5 kilo's is that many tubers like a potato and you just leave 1 for each plant next season?

[pippimac]

A detour for the mighty artichoke....
mekennedy1313, JAs don't store well out of the ground round here and they're usually dug as needed.
I wonder what the best way to deal with them in frozen ground is?

in my climate, JAs are basically impossible to get rid of and there's always tubers left in the ground.
I've just eaten JA and thyme soup, and they are up there as a roast vegetable.
They have varying effects on people's digetion; I find them a bit farty, but not badly so.

[eco4560]

A friend calls them fartichokes.... Nothing wrong with a friendly sharing of intestinal gas in the family home is there?

[mekennedy1313]

Can they be cubed and frozen like other root crops for the winter? How about dried and powdered like flour? Speaking of which could such a flour be used in breads or pancakes?

[Speedster]

Me i really like a small fruit called (groselle) in French i don't no if its got a deferent name in English just watch out, there is a lot of variety and some just grow in climate which are a bit warmer my favorite kind i don't remember the name but its just a small bush of roughly 3 feet tall and grow some small green fruit the size of wild cheery bot they don't have nut in them and are sweet and really sower but i love them it may be an acquire taste...(its almost the same kind of bush as blue berry) Wile i think of that you could even grow wild cheery i no they are small and get you teeth almost black but... Ho and i am from New Brunwick Canada so i am sure they would grow because its even a bit hotter in Ontario. ( You probably don't live way at the North of Ontario)

[mekennedy1313]

Actually I live quite a bit north. I can't find anything on the "groselle" bush, do you have a latin name (ie scientific name). The internet is only coming up with roselle plants. Lots of pin and choke cherry around but unfortunately cherry is the one fruit I detest.