I'm trying to find some rare food trees that are hardy in BC. I'm looking for Sorbus domestica pyriformis (not the native type) because of it's edibility. Which of the persimmon trees is most palatable? Can anyone offer me a list of endangered non-native but also non-invasive food trees cold hardy up to zone 6? Productivity is important.
You'll be very lucky to get worthwhile crops off a persimmon in Victoria's climate. For endangered non-native but also non-invasive food trees,you might want to think about Araucaria araucana (hardy zones 8-9).
Some of the more uncommon fruits we have tested do not appear to have potential beyond home garden use at this time. Paw paw varieties currently available are not highly productive and information on their culture is lacking. Persimmons can be very productive but the biggest challenge is getting them to ripen. American persimmons are hardier than the Japanese type but fruits remain astringent until very soft. This would limit any potential for shipping, but the soft pulp could potentially be processed (e.g., for fruit leather or flavoring). Cornelian cherry, a relative of the dogwood, is an excellent ornamental shrub, covered with bright yellow flowers in late winter to early spring. Productivity is very good, but the fruits have a strong unusual flavor, so a special market niche, perhaps including processed products as for currants, must be sought. Mountain ash varieties we have tested are very good as ornamental trees, fast growing, with attractive bloom, airy leaf texture, and colorful fall fruit. The fruit may have some use by home canners and processors but the mealy texture is not appealing when eaten right from the tree. http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/eb2002/eb2002.pdf
Relevant article from Vancouver Sun a couple of years ago: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=b141cdf9-b60f-4210-95ab-25846a821a6e Wonder how his plants fared in the winter last but one? That was a bit savage. Diligence & lot a lot of expertise at work here! Time & money needed for this kind of thing. Me - I have trouble remembering to close my greenhouse door at night & won't grow anything that requires too much attention. gb.
Look for Cornucopia II, since it appears Amazon now wants $400.00 maybe you can find it at a college library or perhaps even Google Books (although some other books I've looked at there were not presented in their entirety). Gives sources (as of 1998) for edible plants from all over the globe, if there was someone in Canada offering the kind of thing you want (at that time) they will be in this book.
Thanks to all for your valuable info. I didn't know Monkey trees produced edible nuts. Good to know. Today I bought a native persimmon and an Izu persimmon. I'm considering Quince though I don't know how I'd use the fruit. I put my name on a list for what's supposed to be a delicious large fruit medlar. I like the idea of keeping the fruit on the tree until ready to use. I have an urban home in what was previously zone 9 but is now mapped as zone 6. Two or three winters ago I lost all my tender perennials like my passion flower, rosemary, and palm. I'm sticking to zone 6 or less, at least until I get a greenhouse. After your post, I found I can access Cornucopia online. Wow! Great resource. I've also heard about people growing pomegranate and citrus trees in Vancouver, not so much here in Victoria.
I just bought a medlar from Derry of Derry's Orchard http://derrysorchardandnursery.ca/index.html She had two more available at the time. I don't know if she still has them. If you do go to Derry, tell her Tasha sent you.... Good luck.
Some of the very talented Italian gardeners here in East Vancouver seem able to do great things with medlar. As far as monkey puzzles go... I've heard their fruit is excellent, but it takes decades for them to produce fruit, and you would need both male and female plants for that to happen. Very cool trees though. Ensure you have room for them; although slow-growing, they do get very big.
Some monkey puzzle trees seen down here are coning at rather small sizes, I'm not sure a wait of decades is a guaranteed outcome. Noble fir has also been stated to not cone until large, the opposite tendency appears to be the case with cultivated trees here. Sometimes the large cones look almost ridiculous on the small trees bearing them - like birds trying to perch on branches that are really too small for them.
I don't have enough room for the Monkey Trees but if I did, I'd add them to my front yard. I finally planted a Quince. Anyone know about Olea Europaea? How cold hardy is it? Russian Olive isn't a true olive but does it taste like an olive? Also, I'd like more info on Hall's Hardy Almond. Are there better almond trees? Would the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus do better here on the "Wet Coast" vs. one from the BC interior?
Certain olive cultivars are said to be more hardy, there has been much discussion on this site in the past - try searching the site. Russian olive is a different kind of tree botanically, with different fruits. 'Hall's' is a hybrid almond, that is half peach and half almond, grown in this region for years but like peach and almond trees may become spoiled by pest or disease problems at some point if not sprayed. There are prickly pears native near Victoria but if you are after edibility you would choose one for that characteristic rather than climate adaptation. Multiple different prickly pears and other hardy cacti are grown by enthusiasts here, you just have to give them coarse enough soil for them to not rot out in winter, and a sunny exposure. One gardener near Kent, WA had over 80 species in his front garden (instead of a lawn) at one time. Or you can plant them on the south side of an unshaded building, with a long overhang that keeps winter rains off.
