Many people are familiar with the common berries and small fruits we can grow in Manitoba, such as blueberries, grapes, and cherries. Despite our harsh climate, we have many less-familiar berries that pack an even stronger nutritional punch and are easier to grow than the challenging blueberry. We’ve sorted our list from the most popular to the most obscure.
9) Honeyberry/Haskap
Honeyberries barely make our list, as they are becoming more popular throughout the prairies. Nevertheless, they deserve to be planted more due to how easy they are to grow. Honeyberries grow wild, but the real advances in honeyberries cultivation have come through the University of Saskatchewan breeding program which has focused on developing berries with increased size and flavour. Honeyberries are extremely hardy, with flowers that can even survive frosts of up to -7 C. We highly recommend honeyberries as a replacement for blueberries due to their adaptability and ability to thrive in almost any environment.
8) Currant
Currant juice is very popular in many places in Europe as a health drink, though it does not have the same popularity in North America. The berries and pungent leaves have been used for herbal remedies such as fighting colds and fevers and alleviating arthritis. They are also very high in vitamin C – even more than oranges. We grow and sell both black and white currants and find them delicious for eating fresh and processing.
7) Gooseberries
Once more popular on the prairies, but they no longer enjoy the same popularity they used to. This is a shame, as they are easy to grow and delicious. Gooseberries are low in calories, yet high in a variety of nutrients and have large amounts of fiber. This makes them a great healthy snack for those interested in losing weight without missing out on delicious food. Gooseberries grow as small shrubs but can be absolutely loaded with juicy fruit early in the season.
6) Highbush Cranberry
Unlike true cranberries, which are related to blueberries, highbush cranberries are much easier to grow in most soils, while offering a taste profile like the more popular lowbush cranberry. Highbush cranberries are rich in vitamin C, and the bark is said to be helpful with cramps. They are great for attracting birds, especially grouse, and have aesthetic value that makes them useful as a landscape or dual-purpose plant. Highbush cranberries are native throughout North America, although there can be a large difference in the quality of fruit among different varieties. Varieties such as Wentworth produce large, high-quality fruit and have improved aesthetic qualities.
5) Goji Berry
Goji berry has a history of use in traditional medicine but is now becoming increasingly studied for its health properties by modern science. Goji have incredibly high levels of vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamins A and C, as well as lots of iron. This has led to it being known for its ability to support a healthy immune system. Goji berries are also renowned for their benefits for both skin and vision. They have an interesting growth habit, growing on arching canes, and can become loaded with small berries that are great for dehydrating.
4) Sea Buckthorn/Seaberry
We call this the citrus of the prairies because we’ve never grown anything that has that same taste that we seem to only find in citrus trees. In addition to its unique flavour, sea buckthorn is known for being a nutrient powerhouse. The berries contain very high levels of vitamin C, as well as omega fatty acids, which can improve cardiovascular health. Sea buckthorn is also used extensively in hair and skin products. Furthermore, sea buckthorn also has the benefit of fixing nitrogen to enhance fertility in integrated orchards.
3) (Super) Hardy Kiwi
Many are shocked when they find out we can grow kiwi in Manitoba. Even more incredible is the taste – similar to the kiwi found in stores but sweeter, with smooth and edible skin. We highly recommend Super Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta) rather than Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia arguta) as it is much hardier and reliably overwinters in Manitoba. Although they have much smaller fruit than the grocery store kiwi, they are packed with tons of vitamin C. Hardy Kiwi make use of a different type of space in the orchard and garden – vertical. Kiwis grow as vines and should be given support to support the high yields of delicious berries they produce.
2) Aronia
Aronia are one of our least popular berries and this is unfortunate. Aronia have an astringent taste, somewhat like chokecherries. Fortunately, the variety that we sell, Viking, has much less of an astringent taste than other varieties, though it can still leave the mouth feeling dry after eating fresh. Aronia really put the super in “superberry”. Aronia berries are being studied for a wide variety of health benefits from anti-cancer properties to their ability to improve heart health. They have extremely high levels of antioxidants, significantly more than blueberries which are touted for high levels of antioxidants. We eat them fresh, but the juice would be great for processing and blending with other juices to add more sweetness and take away some of the astringency. In addition to being a nutrient powerhouse, Aronia are also hardy and easy to grow and harvest.
1) Buffalo Berry
Buffalo berry is a native shrub that has historical uses as dye, medicine, and food. Rich in ascorbic acid, the berries contain more than four times that of oranges. It is also known as soapberry, due to the presence of saponins which cause the berries to become foamy, like soap, when beaten. The foamy nature of the berry led indigenous people to make them into an ice-cream like desert. Buffalo berries are bitter and astringent but sweeten up somewhat after a frost. They can be eaten raw after a frost, but not in large amounts, as they can lead to diarrhea and can even be fatal.
We primarily use buffalo berry as a nitrogen fixer and to distract birds from other berries in our orchard, though we enjoy them as a late-season snack after frost has hit them. These qualities make buffalo berry an excellent plant to add as a nitrogen fixer to orchard packages that can assist other fruiting plants and provide a healthful harvest on the side.
Conclusion
Many gardeners complain about all the things we can’t grow due to our climate, but we prefer to focus on the positives. The number of berries with incredible health properties that we can grow is staggering. Growing small fruit, in contrast to large fruit trees, allows for a tremendous diversity to fit into a relatively small space. Most are also very easy to grow and maintain, so consider adding some of these wonderful plants and start enjoying the health benefits they provide.