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A complete list of every edible tree and bush that will grow in zone 5 or colder

 
Posts: 34
Location: Ithaca NY
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For the purposes of maimizing the diversity and edibility of our lands, I thought it would be great to make a list of every edible tree or bush I can grow here. I am in zone 5, hence the title. I am thinking of trees and bushes that can grow in this climate with little in the way of extra attention because I don't have time for that. Please help me make this list complete. I realize this list will be extremely long, we will have to keep adding to it when we have time. I am just putting a few on here to start.

Hybrid Chestnut
Oak
Pecan
Shagbark Hickory
Hardy Almond
Black Walnut
Carpathian Walnut
Japanese Walnut
Heartnut
Hybrid Hazelnut
Eastern Filbert
American Persimmon
Mulberry
Paw Paw
Apple
Pear
Plum
Peach
Apricot
Mayhaw
Russian Olive
Service Berry
Siberian Pea-shrub
Blueberry
Huckleberry
Raspberry
Blackberry
Honeyberry
Black Currant
Red Currant

More to follow...


 
pollinator
Posts: 1190
Location: Nevada, Mo 64772
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Cherry
Gooseberry
Persimmon
Autumn berry
Medlar
 
steward
Posts: 15516
Location: Northern WI (zone 4)
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chokecherry
chokeberry (aronia)
highbush cranberry
cranberry
american hazelnut
beaked hazelnut
seaberry
nanking cherry
cornelian cherry
quince
elderberry
 
Posts: 12
Location: Minnesota zone 4a
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Great list. Here a few more we grow in zone 4a

Hackberry
Mountain Ash
American Linden (edible leaves, flowers and nutlets)
Black locust (edible flowers)
Maple trees (edible samaras and sap=syrup)
Elm trees (edible samaras)
Wild black cherry
Wild American plum
Grapes - riverbank grows wild but there are many great cold hardy varieties - bluebell, niagra and somerset are reliable
Staghorn and smooth sumac
The bush cherries - romance series are tasty
Beach plum
Hawthorne
Crabapples
Redbud
Wild dew berries
Blueberries
Serviceberries
Nannyberry
Pin cherry
Goumi
Quince
Goji

You may want to look into the edible perennials too and some wild perennials.  

A few to start:
Rhubarb
Asparagus
Stinging nettles
Ohio spiderwort
Common milkweed
Eastern prickly pear cactus
Onion chives
Oregano
Thyme
Garlic chives
Egyptian walking onions
Garlic
Sunchokes
Ground nuts
Wild rice
Wapato


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pollinator
Posts: 992
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https://joybileefarm.com/edible-landscaping-zone-3/

 
pollinator
Posts: 3827
Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat
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Pretty much every single plants that nurseries advertise to grow in USA will grow in zone 5.
It is easier to make a super short list of which plants will not grow in zone 5.
(Banana, Avocado, Coconuts/Palms, Pomegranate, Macadamia Nuts, Olive, that pretty much it)

Below is a list of plants that will grow in zone 5, with a few vendors that sell them
http://www.nuttrees.com/edible-nut-trees/other-edible-nut-trees
https://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees
https://onegreenworld.com/product-category/fruiting-trees-shrubs/

Chestnut Family
Hazelnut Family
Walnut Family (Pecan, Hickory, Walnut, Butternut, etc)

Prunus sub-family (sand cherry, apricot, cherry, plum, peach, almond, etc)
Apple sub-family (pear, quince, medlar, apple, crabapple, juneberry, aronia, hawthorn, etc)
Blackberry sub-family (fruiting rose, raspberry, wineberry, blackberry, strawberry, etc)

Gooseberry Family (currants, gooseberry, jostaberry, etc)

Seaberry Family (seaberry, goumi, autumn olive, etc)

Blueberry Family (cranberry, blueberry, ligonberry, etc)

Nannyberry Family

Misc (Elderberry, Jujube, Persimmon, Cornelia  Cherry, Mulberry, PawPaw, Honeyberry)

Vines (Grape, Akebia, Kiwi)

Mushroom (Wine Cap, Oyster, and pretty much every single edible mushroom)

Lets not forget about the covercrop
70% legumes (dutch clover, etc)
10% mint/thyme family (mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano, hyssop, thyme, lavender, perilla, etc)
10% onion/garlic family (ramps, chives, garlic chives, garlic, onion, leeks, etc)
10% carrot/dill family (lovage, water celery, etc)
misc (Daikon Radish, Dandelion, etc)

Vegetables/Annuals
Spinach Family (beet, chard, lamb quarters, spinach, etc)
Cabbage Family (seakale, collard, radish, kale, cabbage, mustard, arugula, cauliflower, etc)
Carrot Family (Dill, celery, carrot, parsnip, etc)
Misc
 
pollinator
Posts: 1702
Location: southern Illinois, USA
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Another category to remember is the relatively short list of trees and shrubs that bear edible foliage.  The lindens, sourwood, and rose-of-Sharon come first to mind, perhaps there are others?  The way to manage these plants for leaves is to coppice them in turn, so there is always new growth near the ground to harvest.
 
Roses are red, violets are blue. Some poems rhyme and some don't. And some poems are a tiny ad.
Heat your home with the twigs that naturally fall of the trees in your yard
http://woodheat.net
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