About Trees, Shrubs, Roots and Vines

Asparagus
Chokeberries
Conifers
Cornelian Cherries
Crabapples
American Cranberries
Highbush Cranberries (and other Viburnum species)
Heather and Erica
Hops
Saskatoons (and other Amelanchier species)
Kiwiberries
Lilacs
Lingonberries (Vaccinium)
Oaks
Rhubarb
Roses
Willows
Winterberries

Asparagus Asparagus officinalis

A spring staple for millennia, may have originated around the Mediterranean Sea, perhaps in Asia Minor. The pharaohs, Greeks and Romans were all aware of its highly nutritious qualities and delectable flavor. The earliest known American horticultural advertisement, from March 1719, is for “English Sparrow-grass Roots.” Uncut shoots become a light green feathery hedge, a beautiful backdrop to a flower garden. Honeybees love the dainty dangling flowers, which develop into bright red spherical seed pods on female plants. Occasionally non–spear-forming females will show up in a planting. Leave them be or rogue them out as you wish.

Growing Asparagus

Soil: Requires fertile soil and high levels of phosphorus.
Sun: Full sun.
Planting: Plant 14–18" apart, 6–10" deep, in trenches 4' apart. Or dig your trenches somewhat deeper and fill the bottom with 4" of compost and rotted manure. For an extra fertilizer boost, use Fedco’s own Gungnir Asparagus Mix.
Lay plants with crowns up and cover with 2" of soil. Plants emerge very slowly. As young shoots grow, add soil gradually, just covering the shoots, until the trench is full.

In late fall, remove dead stalks and mulch with 3" of manure.
- Second summer: Add lime, rock fertilizers and compost as needed. Control weeds but do not injure crowns.
- Later years: Same routine but increase fertilizer. Be sure to leave some spears each year to grow stalks that will nourish the roots and give you more spears next year. Keep the bed weed-free and mulched heavily.
Harvest: We recommend caution in harvesting too much too soon. Before the third or fourth season, harvest only the largest shoots from vigorous plants so the young plants can establish themselves.

Chokeberries Aronia spp.

Aronia has gotten a lot of press in recent years as a superfruit: it has wonderful medicinal qualities, works well in a range of culinary applications and is an important wildlife plant in the native landscape. Both red (A. arbutifolia) and black (A. melanocarpa) chokeberries are edible when cooked, but we emphasize the red for wildlife, while the black may be a better choice for medicine and food. Black chokeberries are commercially cultivated for their high levels of antioxidants and myriad health benefits. Both species are small rounded shrubs with blueberry-sized fruit and electric-red fall foliage.

Begins to bear fruit in its third year and increases to full yield around five years. Ripens in late July or early August. If not harvested, the berries will hang on the bushes until songbirds eat them in late winter. Will form colonies, especially when planted in partial shade. Not particularly picky about where it grows: adaptable to moist or dry areas, sun or partial shade. Native to eastern U.S. Self-fruitful.

Conifers

Conifers include Fir, Pine, and Spruce trees. Grow them for Christmas trees and seasonal greenery, or leave them in your landscape to grow tall, and enjoy the sound of the winter wind rustling through the needles. Most of the conifers we sell are native to North America, and all provide beauty and habitat year round.

Growing Conifers

Soil: Tolerate a wide range of soil conditions; most prefer slight acidity.
Sun: Most tolerate some shade.
Planting: If you are planting in dry or well-drained areas, dip tree roots in a solution of Agri-gel before planting to protect roots from drying out. Do not soak conifers in the Agri-gel solution; a good dipping is sufficient.
It is better to prune the roots than to crowd them in the hole; you can shear back roots by about a third of their length. Dig a small hole or make an incision with a spade and slip the tree in to the level it grew in the nursery. Fan the roots out. Water well and pack the earth down with your feet to remove air pockets.

Periodic deep watering is far more beneficial than frequent sprinkling. Fertilization is not necessary in the first year. In later years you may fertilize around the drip line.
Pruning: To make evergreens dense and compact, prune back the central leader and the center bud on the end of each side branch. Otherwise, leave them alone.

Cornelian Cherry Cornus mas

Gaining popularity in the U.S., the fruits of this Old World gem have been harvested by humans for thousands of years. Bright red pear-shaped edible “cherries” set heavily in late summer. Let them fully ripen to their full sweet potential before picking. Clusters of small delicate yellow flowers cover the leafless tree in early spring for a striking show before the forsythias even think of waking up.

Long-lived large shrub with upright rounded habit makes a great edible hedge or can be pruned to a small tree. Nutritious, medicinal, high in vitamin C and good in jam, syrup, tarts, fruit leather and wine. The wood is hard and strong, once used for spears and wheel spokes. This plant has it all. Prefers well-drained soil and full sun but otherwise adaptable. Partially self-fertile—plant multiples to improve yields. Native to Europe and Asia.

See also: Cornelian Cherry Recipes

Flowering and Culinary Crabapples Malus spp.

A crabapple is any apple with fruit smaller than 2" in diameter. All crabs bear edible fruit, some more favorable for culinary use than others. Some fruits are persistent, hanging on the branch through winter and providing forage for robins, jays and waxwings in the early spring. The flowers, tree form and even the shape of the leaves can vary subtly or profoundly. Most are magnificent in bloom and ornamental year round, especially in winter when the leaves drop and the trees show off their interesting forms.

Growing Crabapples

Soil: Adaptable, but prefers well-drained fertile soil.
Sun: Full sun, but will tolerate less if you pamper it.
Pollination: Requires a second variety for pollination. Any apple or crabapple blooming within a quarter mile will probably do.
Planting: Same as other apples. See our planning and planting and pests and diseases pages for more information about soil prep, planting and pest control.
Spacing: 15–20' apart.
Pruning: Crabs do not require formal pruning. Prune broken branches and suckers; moderately shape as you wish, but otherwise allow the tree to assume its natural form.

American Cranberries Vaccinium macrocarpon

Dense low lustrous evergreen ground cover, reddish purple in fall and loaded with large red berries. Once established, makes a beautiful and edible “lawn.” Handpick or rake like blueberries before hard frost. Use fresh, freeze or store in a cool basement or root cellar for months. Bitter and alkalizing effects make it one of the most common remedies for bladder infections. An excellent source of vitamin C. Annually flooded for frost protection and harvesting convenience in commercial operations, but not necessary in home plots. Self-fertile. Native to northeastern U.S. and Canada.

Growing Cranberries

Soil: Prefers acidic cool moist soil high in organic matter; adaptable to everything from bogs to dry rocky outcroppings.
Sun: Full.
Pollination: Self-pollinating: you only need one.
Planting: Plant comes in a bushy 6" clump, which can be carefully divided or planted as a whole and divided in future years.

Highbush Cranberries and Other Viburnums Viburnum spp.

The Viburnum genus encompasses more than 150 different species, which can range from dense shrubs lush with green foliage to more open and rangy small trees. Viburnums are prized for their multi-season interest, with blossom, berry and foliage varying by species. Flowers attract many butterflies and other early-season pollinators in spring. Ripening berries, some edible for humans, put on a show of color throughout the summer.

All the Viburnums we offer are important wildlife plants, native to eastern North America.

Growing Viburnums

Soil: Adaptable, but in moist rich well-drained soil they will take on a fuller shape.
Sun: Full sun to part shade.
Pollination: Plant multiples of the same species for best fruit set.
Pest Control: Viburnum leaf beetle (Pyrrhalta viburni) has become a problem in some areas. The larvae overwinter on twigs and can defoliate shrubs in spring and early summer. They seem to prefer Arrowwood, but we have seen them do a number on Wild Raisin and Nannyberry. Prune out and burn any egg-infested twigs in early spring before your shrubs are leafed out. Spraying with Spinosad in late April or early May when the larvae first emerge can also help. Timing is key—spraying eggs or adult beetles is less effective.

Heather and Erica

Heather Calluna vulgaris

Magical, mythical and medicinal evergreen groundcover features a spread of flowers and foliage that change color throughout the season. Revered in the British Isles, important medicinally in teas, honey, liniments and ointments. First fermented a few thousand years ago, used in gruit, ale, and might be the original ingredient for the first whiskey. Branches used in thatching, bedding, basketry, rope and broom-making. Flowers attract bees, butterflies and moths, especially when planted in masses. Recommended for rock gardens and pathways—or for opening the portals to the fairy world.

Shear every April for best bloom. Species native to the dry forests, heaths and bare grounds of Britain and Ireland. More recently naturalized in North America.

Erica Erica carnea

Foliage is more ferny and wispier than heathers and can be many shades of green through the season. Mounded mat-like growth habit sprawls and crawls

Growing Heather and Erica

Soil: Requires acidic well-drained soil.
Sun: Full sun to part shade. Sun and wind intensify their colors.
Spacing: Plant 18" apart. They’ll spread.
Planting: We recommend pine needles or softwood chips as an acidic year-round mulch.
Shearing Heathers: Heathers should be sheared every April for best bloom. Without annual shearing, they’ll become woody and bare in just a few years. With pruners or shears, roughly cut the stems below where they flowered the previous season, leaving a few inches of foliage. It should look like a little mound with a haircut. Next thing you know, bright new growth will start emerging.
Shearing not only makes the plants look better but also makes them stronger and more resistant to fungal problems. If you’re not up for shearing, heathers might not be for you.
Pruning Ericas: Lightly prune spent flower tips in spring after blooming. These don’t require shearing like heathers.

Hops Humulus lupulus

Beautiful twining vine covers a trellis, archway or the entire side of a barn. Our favorite live awning to shade out the summer sun. Green lobed leaves, bristly stems, and insignificant greenish flowers, followed in late summer by the hops: papery aromatic cone-like strobiles used medicinally and in brewing for more than 1000 years. Herbalist John Christopher recommended the strobile tea as “a powerful, stimulating and relaxing nerve tonic.” For brewing, there are basically two types of hops. Aroma hops are used for flavoring, finishing or conditioning brews. Bitter hops have more alpha acids and are used to impart bitterness. Native to Eurasia.

Growing Hops

Soil: Adaptable, but prefers rich light well-drained soil. Top-dress with manure or compost each spring.
Sun: Full, but will tolerate some shade.
Pollination: You need only one variety.
Spacing: In hills 3' apart, 1 or 2 plants per hill.
Planting: Plant hops where you’re sure you want them—they’ll be hard to get rid of once established. Prepare planting holes with plenty of compost, manure or other slow-release organic fertilizer. Plant rhizomes with buds pointing up and cover with 1–2" loose soil. Appreciates frequent light waterings and mulch the first year.
Training: Vines may grow up to 25' in a single season, and do best if they are trained onto strong twine 12–30' high, supported by a trellis, wire, pole, tree branch or south-facing building. When young vines are about 1' long, select the most vigorous 2 or 3 shoots per hill and remove the rest; gently wrap the vines clockwise on the twine to get it started.
Harvest: Pick the hops when they are papery but still slightly sticky and filled with yellow powder. Dry hops thoroughly before use. Spread on screens in a dry room, they will dry in a few weeks. Dried hops freeze well.
Pruning: Vines die back to the ground in fall and rebound vigorously in spring. Just cut back the dead vines after frost. To help control vigor, prune roots by cutting a 2–3' circle with a shovel around the base of the plant in spring.

Saskatoons Amelanchier spp.

Also called Juneberry, Parsonberry, Serviceberry, Shadblow, Shadbush and Shad. Purplish-black sweet berries great for pies, cobblers, jellies, jams, smoothies and cakes. Berries are about the size of a lowbush blueberry, or a bit larger, and seedier. Fruit ripens in mid-July in central Maine.

We’ve always admired our native Amelanchiers in the wilds of Maine where they grow along stream edges and rocky slopes. Beautiful fragrant 5-petaled white flowers are early harbingers of spring in Maine. Nice red-orange fall foliage. Recently we’re learning more about saskatoons farmed commercially for fruit in Canada, much like how we grow highbush blueberries. In Canada there are saskatoon festivals, and even a baseball team called the Saskatoon Berries!

Kiwiberries Actinidia spp.

Productive twining vines climb 20' or more and produce delicious kumquat-sized kiwi fruits in late summer, so delicious that you might not be able to stop eating them! Unlike supermarket kiwis, the skin is smooth and edible. The longer they ripen on the vine, the sweeter they become. Once vines are established, adequate pruning (see directions below) will significantly increase yields. No significant pest or disease problems.

Although the vines are quite hardy, the flowers and foliage are frost sensitive. Planting on a northern exposure will delay budding in spring and reduce risk of frost damage. Protection from winter winds and intense winter sun is also recommended. Mulch with hay or wood chips. In poor soil fertilize annually with compost (such as either Rainbow Valley compost or Coast of Maine Quoddy Blend compost).

We offer two species:

Actinidia arguta ripens around mid-September, has large fruit and is more vigorous than kolomikta. (Argutas can just about pull down a tree.)

Actinidia kolomikta ripens around mid-August, has small fruit and is less vigorous but more cold-hardy than arguta and should thrive even in the northernmost districts.

Both species are native to eastern Asia.

Growing Kiwiberries

Soil: Prefers rich well-drained soils.
Pollination: Both male and female plants required for fruit. One male will pollinate several females as long as they are within approximately 30' of the male.
Planting: Plant vines 10' apart each way in moist but well-drained soil.
Training and Pruning:
- On a trellis: Train a single trunk to the trellis wires and then train two permanent 7–10' cordons (arms) off the trunk. Each winter remove at least 70% of old growth, leaving a dozen or so one-year-old laterals. The coming summer’s fruit will develop on fruit spurs growing off these one-year-old laterals.
  Summer pruning may be required to keep extremely rampant vines from choking out your farm.
- On an arbor or gazebo: Once established, prune 70% of the old growth each year and leave some new canes for this year’s fruiting. The Pruning Book by Lee Reich is an excellent reference for pruning kiwis.

Lilacs Syringa spp.

Lilacs have been a fixture in the New England landscape for generations. More often than not, when we find old apple trees, the ancient lilacs are not far away. The large rambling suckering shrubs continue to flourish each spring long after the buildings have disappeared and all that remains of homesteads are crumbling stone foundations. Why were the lilacs always planted just outside the kitchen door? On cold winter mornings, someone would clean out the wood stove and sprinkle ashes on the icy path to the backhouse, the woodshed or the clothesline. The earth outside the kitchen door became more alkaline, which lilacs love.

Excellent alone or in hedges. Deep green glossy heart-shaped foliage looks good all season. Intensely fragrant blooms in May. Flowers range from singles to doubles, pure white to the deepest purples, pinks, reds and lavenders. Bees and butterflies love them, too. Ornamental, edible (frittered flowers), medicinal, and a great Mother’s Day gift.

Growing Lilacs

Soil: Adaptable. Prefers well-drained moderately rich soil; sandy gravelly loam is perfect.
Sun: Full sun, but will tolerate part shade.
Planting: Add a shovelful of wood ash or lime to the hole at planting time, then add another shovelful of either every 3 years. A yearly mulch of manure or compost will encourage spectacular annual blooming. Pink, lavender and blue lilacs color up best in soil with a neutral pH.
Pruning: If you choose to prune your lilacs, do it right after flowering. (Late-season pruning removes next year’s buds.) As the plant matures, prune off a quarter of the new suckers and the oldest growth (a few main stems each year).
Some growers prefer to keep the plant low and bushy. Do so by “topping” it off every year: prune any upright branch back to a junction with a lower branch. Others prefer a tall tree-like form. Our friends Philippe and Danielle have let theirs soar to 8' or more, removing the lower branches and creating a magical walkway in the process. Lilacs are more than willing to cater to your own personal vision. Have fun! No need to cut off spent flowers except for appearance.

`Lilac isn’t blooming?

Too shady: lilacs need sun to form blossoms.
Over-pruned: pruned too late, removed buds. Also, some plants respond to excessive pruning by putting their energy into vegetative growth instead of flowering.
Too wet: lilacs like well-drained soil.
Over-fertilized: lilacs will bloom well without assistance. Too much fertility can lead to more vegetative growth and inhibit bud formation.

Lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Also called Foxberry, Cowberry, Mountain Cranberry. Vigorous shallow-rooted spreading groundcover is related to blueberries and cranberries. Bright red glossy nutritious fruits are wicked tart until dead ripe, then have excellent flavor, richer and less astringent than cranberries. Can be eaten fresh but primarily used in sauces, jams, syrups, fruit leathers, juices and wines. Stores up to 2 months in the fridge. Small shiny dark green foliage is quite lovely. Adorable tiny bell-shaped white flowers in spring attract a plethora of pollinators. Extremely popular in Scandinavia and now catching on in the U.S. Ripen in late summer but are best after a frost. Can produce 1–2 lb per plant for up to 20 years.

Native to circumpolar boreal forests. Incredibly tough and very hardy.

Oaks Quercus spp.

Many oaks are native to New England. They are generally divided into two groups: the reds and the whites. The reds have pointier leaves and the whites have rounder ones. Most of them make absolutely breathtaking shade trees, creating a major presence in almost any landscape and providing bountiful forage for wildlife and for humans. The strongly astringent inner bark, foliage and acorn caps are all medicinal, and acorns were an extremely important human food source for thousands of years. Contrary to much of the literature, all acorns are edible, both reds and whites. (For detailed instructions on acorn processing, see Samuel Thayer’s book, Nature’s Garden.) The tannins from a handful of oak leaves added to homemade half-sours will keep pickles crisp for months. Oaks are monoecious so you need only one to get fruit.

Rhubarb Rheum rhabarbarum

Early Summer. Famous for pie and wine, but also good in sauce, bread, juice, soup or cooked with meat and fish. Rhubarb’s clumps of juicy acid leaf stalks were once a staple food. The root is a toning purgative herb traditionally used every spring for thousands of years. There are dozens if not hundreds of rhubarb varieties. May have originated in Siberia and been carried across Asia on the Silk Road to Turkey and then into Europe. Victorian cookbooks included rhubarb compotes, fools and charlottes. Eventually brought to North America through the efforts of Ben Franklin and John Bartram. Low-maintenance; will continue through summer if flower stalks are removed and new leaves allowed to grow. Leaves are not edible.

Growing Rhubarb

Soil:Well-drained rich slightly acidic soil.
Sun: Full sun.
Spacing: Plant crowns 2–4' apart in rows 3–4' apart.
Planting: Plant the top of the root division level with soil surface. Add a bushel of well-rotted manure or compost to each planting hole.
When plant is established, fertilize liberally with compost and balanced garden fertilizer every spring, as it’s a heavy feeder.
Harvest: Never remove more than two-thirds of the stalks from a plant. Two years after planting, harvest for no more than 4 weeks. Thereafter you can harvest for 8–10 weeks each year. Water during dry spells for extended season.
Dividing: Every 10 years or so, divide plants in early spring. Leave about 1/3 of the clump in place, and cut up remaining crowns into fist-sized pieces to replant or share with friends.

Roses Rosa spp.

For millennia, roses have beguiled humans. The first cultivation of these flowers dates back more than 5000 years in China. Fossil records suggest that roses may have been around for more than 30 million years. Regarded as the ultimate icon of love, grace, beauty and elegance, roses continue to be the subject of art and poetry across the world.

Leaves, petals, hips and roots all have medicinal properties. Rose hips (fruits) are rich in vitamin C and make a wonderful “rose apple” jam; rose-petal elixir calms the nerves and lifts the spirit.

Each year, we aim to offer a diverse selection of unusual and antique varieties. Unlike hybrid tea roses, these roses are all vigorous, cold hardy and on their own roots. The antique varieties grow slowly compared to newer hybrids and tend to be more difficult to propagate. You may notice when you receive your order that some of these roses have small root systems and little top growth. Don’t be alarmed by this—it’s just the nature of these old varieties. We can attest that they perform just as well as the others. If roots are tangled, cut them back to 6" or so and spread them out in the planting hole.

Roses are native to temperate regions throughout the world.

Old-fashioned Roses

Roses grown in Europe before 1800 are referred to as “Old World” roses, including the cultivars of Rosa gallica. Their pink colors ranged from the deepest dark purple of ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’ to a faint pink blush like that of ‘Chloris’. There were no reds among these antique roses and, though rich in fragrance, they bloomed only once per season. In the late 1700s red roses with repeat blooming tendencies were introduced from China, shifting the focus of rose breeding toward those traits. Demand for the aromatic and medicinal qualities of the Old World roses declined, supplanted by flowers that lasted long through the season. The hybrids created since the 1820s are called “modern” roses and are much more commonly seen in gardens today.

Rosa gallica is considered the oldest rose, steeped in history, legend and myth, and still grows wild in some places in the Caucasus, the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas, where it originated. Its exact origin is unknown but it can be traced back fourteen centuries when it was considered a symbol of love by the Persians. The aromatic petals hold their scent better than any other rose and have long been considered medicinal. This species contains hundreds of different cultivars, some very similar and others unique. Most have compact shrub habits and are generally very hardy. Most modern-day roses are presumed to be descendants of the gallicas.

Rosa rugosa hybrids

We no longer offer straight Rosa rugosa seedlings. Many wonderful old and new roses carry rugosa in their parentage (sometimes of an undetermined amount), and we have not observed these hybrids to be harmful to the environment. However the State of Maine legally requires us to include this statement: “R. rugosa: Invasive species, harmful to the environment. Do not plant in coastal environments, especially on or near sand dunes. Alternatives: Bayberry and red chokeberry.”

Growing Roses

Soil: Well-drained soil with a good amount of organic matter.
Sun: Full sun, but some will tolerate part shade. Pick a site with good air flow, but avoid sites with cold northwest winds.
Spacing: 4–6' apart.
Planting: Plant as early as soil can be worked. The roots of roses don’t spread beyond the original hole, so dig a bushel-sized hole, as deep as 2' or more. Mix soil with liberal quantities of well-rotted manure and compost. Add a coffee-can of rock phosphate or bone meal.
- Prior to planting, prune plants back to 3–5 of the best canes.
- Keep roses well mulched to retain moisture and reduce weeds. Add 2 shovelfuls of compost to each crown annually in late fall.
Pruning: Other than clipping out any dead wood, shrub roses and climbers require little pruning.

Willows Salix spp.

The genus Salix comprises hundreds of different species of plants most commonly called willows but sometimes called Osier or Sallow. Willows grow all over the world. Some, like the weeping willow, are towering specimens. Others are short scrubby bushes; willows growing in the arctic can be 100 years old but only 2' tall! Uses include ornamental landscaping, shade, basketmaking, erosion control, timber, fuel and medicine. All parts, especially the bark, contain salicin, used for relief of pain and fever for hundreds, or even thousands, of years. Aspirin is a synthetic analog of salicin. Willows feed local wildlife, insects and birds. We plant them near the orchard to provide early season forage for our native pollinators. All prefer sun and loamy wet soils, but are adaptable, easily transplanted and fast growing.

Winterberries Ilex verticillata

Also called Black Alder, Fever Bush, Possumhaw, Swamp Holly and more. Deciduous suckering medicinal holly with clusters of upright stems. Best known for profusions of bright red ⅜" berries which stand out after the leaves fall—they keep their color all winter, spectacular against the snow. A staple of the Maine landscape, providing late-spring forage for birds. Lustrous deep green leaves retain their color long after they’re cut for decoration. Richly foliated, but open enough to display interesting branch structure. Tiny white flowers in mid-July attract pollinators. Excellent fall wildlife forage plant. Leaves used for tea and tonic, astringent bark used in herbal medicine.

Tolerates dry conditions but prefers moist or wet acidic soil, even standing water. Sun or partial shade. No serious pests or diseases. Male and female plants required for fruit, which is produced on female plants. Plant males within 30' of females. Native from midwestern to eastern U.S.