Sambucus canadensis 'York'
'York' is a variety of American elder selected from the cross of Adams #2 and Ezyoff at the Geneva Experiment Station in New York in 1964. Its medium-sized dark berries ripen slightly later than... more->
Fern Hill Nursery and Botanical Sanctuary
Edible, medicinal, and native plants for the Pacific Northwest
We spent 13 years building an abundant fruit forest, annual veggie beds, perennial medicinal herbs, and a healthy mixed hardwood-coniferous forest and now we've sold our property to the next stewards so that we can begin a new homesteading project in Vermont closer to our best friends and their kids.
Don't worry - we plan to keep this website up and running so that our customers can reference what we've written about our plants!
We'll let you know once we re-start a farm in Vermont!
Shrub
Ribes uva-crispa 'Black Velvet'
Black Velvet is a very disease resistant, vigorous and productive plant with sweet, dark purple berries. more->
Ribes uva-crispa 'Pixwell'
Pixwell is almost thornless. Berries can be harvested when green for pie and jam or harvested when soft and pink for fresh eating. Very productive and fruit is easy to harvest clusters. Mildew... more->
Ribes uva-crispa 'Sabine'
Sabine is a variety we originally obtained from the USDA Germplasm Repository in Corvallis Oregon. This vigorous and disease resistant plant has a medium sized red berry. more->
Ribes uva-crispa 'Hinnomaki Red'
Hinnomaki Red comes from Finland. The plant bears dark red, sweet and large berries. more->
Sambucus nigra 'Samdal'
This variety began producing very large clusters of medium-sized dark purple berries for us in the second year, and it has doubled the yield each year since! Samdal was originally developed in... more->
Sambucus canadensis 'Ranch'
Ranch is shorter and more compact than most elderberry varieties. It gets only 5ft tall, so berries are easier to reach for harvesting. more->
Camellia sinensis 'Sochi'
This variety of hardy tea comes from the Sochi region of Russia near the Black Sea. more->
Camellia sinensis 'Korean'
This hardy variety of tea comes from the mountains of the Boseong region in South Korea. more->
Cistus incanus creticus
This fuzzy-leaved rock rose makes a smaller, more compact shrub than the pink orchid or white rock roses. While the others easily reach 3-4ft tall, this variety grows to be a perfectly shaped 2ft... more->
Ficus carica 'Lattarula'
The tasty fruit of this variety has yellow-green skin and a honey colored interior. These are the largest figs we've ever grown. Boy, are they sweet! There is a reason this one is named after... more->
Cistus x hybridus
This rock rose has broad, wavy leaves with delicate, triangular tips and paper white flowers. more->
Umbellularia californica
Native to northern California and Oregon, this hardwood shrub in the laurel family grows in sunny or shady hillside forests. I've seen it in moist coastal forests as well as in sun drenched... more->
Aronia melanocarpa
Our friend Allen reports that this particular Aronia produces plentiful berries. These shrubs readily send up new shoots from near the base of the tallest stems. more->
Sambucus canadensis 'Nova'
'Nova' is a variety of American elder, selected for its reliable yield of medium-sized dark berries at a germplasm center in Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1960. Although it may have better... more->
Sambucus nigra 'Haschberg'
'Haschberg' is a variety of black European elder, especially popular in commercial orchards in Austria and Germany. It produces abundant and large clusters of dark purple berries, and grows to... more->
Hibiscus syriacus 'Arden's Double Purple'
Arden's Double Purple has a frilly flower with multiple layers of purple-pink petals. more->
Rubus idaeus 'Cascade Delight'
This variety of red raspberry bears medium sized, juicy fruit. This variety was developed especially for resistence to phytopthora rot and other fungal diseases that proliferate in wet soil, so... more->
Rubus idaeus 'Fall Gold'
This raspberry bears sweet and beautiful golden fruit! Need we say more? more->
Hippophae rhamnoides
Seaberries are tart and delicious golden fruit about the size of a lentil, borne in large quantities along the thorny stems of this shrub. The berries are packed with fifteen times the vitamin C... more->
Sambucus nigra 'Korsor'
'Korsor' is a variety of black European elder from Denmark, notable for its large, dark, juicy berries. It grows to about 8 feet tall.
European black elderberries are the most sought-after... more->
Rubus idaeus 'Tulameen'
Bred in Canada, 'Tulameen' has very large red fruit, even bigger than the large-fruited commercial variety 'Meeker'. Unlike 'Cascade Red', it prefers well-drained soil.
Raspberry canes... more->
Ribes hirtellum 'Captivator'
'Captivator' is virtually thornless and very hardy. Shrubs are productive and bear medium to large sweet red fruits which ripen midsummer.
Ribes nigrum 'Muslin Black'
This variety was propagated from a plant growing on farm near us, on Muslin Creek.
European black currants have a very distinct musky flavor which is prized by many in europe and the U.S.... more->
Ficus carica 'Monstrueuse'
Also known as Grosse Monstrueuse de Lipari, this fig is named for an island in italy and known for its delicious fruit and large leaves. It has faintly striped and mottled green and purplish skin... more->
Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena'
Rosa rugosa 'alba'
Rugosa rose is a suckering shrub native to asia. It has large and beautiful blooms and the largest rose hips of any rose we know. The rose hips are high in vitamin C and can be eaten fresh or... more->
Cistus x purpureus 'Pink'
This variety of rock rose has narrow, resinous leaves and stunning, crinkly pink flowers with four central maroon spots. more->
Myrica californica
Pacific waxmyrtle is an evergeen shrub/small tree native to the west coast of North America. It can grow 5-30 feet tall and has sticky leaves and a waxy wrinkled purple berry. It is a great... more->
Hibiscus syriacus 'Blue Bird'
'Blue Bird' has bright blue flowers, and is a bit smaller and less vigorous than other varieties. more->
Ribes aureum
'Golden' currant is larger than the european currants that we grow. It is vigorous and can grow in a variety of soil types and habitats, up to 9 feet tall. It has beautiful clusters of yellow... more->
Ribes x 'Waldo'
Waldo is a purple gooseberry originally brought to us by Rick Valley, a wise local Permaculture landscaper. It was the result of hybridizations from Dr. George Waldo. It has sweet purple fruits... more->
Viburnum opulus
Cramp bark is a deciduous shrub that can grow over 10 feet tall. It has showy white flower clusters and bright red-orange berries that birds love. The bark is used medicinally to reduce smooth... more->
Ficus carica 'Desert King'
'Desert King' is a very good choice for the Northwest. It is early to ripen, productive, and has excellent flavor. Sweet and delicious fruits with green skin and pink pulp ripen in late July or... more->
Ribes nigrum 'Blackdown'
'Blackdown' produces large, jet-black berries that are juicy and flavorful with a distinctive musky taste. They are excellent in jams, jellies and juice. The plant is vigorous and has upright... more->
Vitex agnus-castus 'Pink'
Chaste tree, also known as vitex, is a beautiful deciduous shrub that has spikes of flowers in late summer here in Oregon. It can grow up to ten feet tall but can be kept shorter with annual... more->
Ribes rubrum 'Jonkheer Van Tets'
Red currants produce bright red clusters of fruit which are are striking in the garden and they enhance any dish to which they are added. Red currant fruit is high in vitamin C and potassium and... more->
Calycanthus floridus
Also known as Carolina allspice, this fragrant deciduous shrub, native to the Southeastern U.S., grows 3 to 8 feet tall and up to ten feet wide. Essentail oil is distilled from the flowers, and... more->
Ribes nigrum 'Minaj Smyriou'
'Minaj Smyriou' has excellent European black currant flavorand can be eaten fresh or used to make jam and juice.
European black currants have a very distinct musky flavor which is prized by... more->
Hibiscus syriacus 'Red Heart'
'Red Heart' has a white bloom with a red center and grows very vigorously in our climate. I've seen shrubs over 6 feet tall. more->
Ribes rubrum 'Cascade'
'Cascade' is easy to grow and a consistent producer here in the Wilamette Valley. Provides large crops of delicious red fruit. It is very winter hardy.
Red currants produce bright red... more->
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Tuscan Blue'
One of the most popular upright rosemary varieties, Tuscan Blue has a blue-green hint to its foliage, and blue-purple flowers.
The Latin name Rosmarinus refers to the dew (ros) of the sea (... more->
Salvia apiana
The dried leaf of white sage is well known for its aroma and is excellent for smudging.
Not native to our area, it does best grown in a pot with half sand half potting soil, or planted in... more->
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Goriza'
Rosmarinus officinalis 'Huntington carpet'
Ribes oxyacanthoides 'Jahn's Prairie'
A favorite gooseberry here at Fern Hill, 'Jahn's Prairie' produces hearty yields of large dessert quality red-pink fruit in midsummer. This shrub grows more upright than some gooseberry varietes.... more->
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