Berry Nice! Guide to Juicy Edibles (Part 1)

by Brett Kerley

Edmonton’s cold climate might seem challenging for growing fruit, but it’s actually ideal for a surprising number of hardy, delicious, and nutritious berries. From native species to cultivated favorites, many berries thrive in the region’s long summer days, cool nights, and fertile prairie soils.

Part one of this guide covers the more common edible berries you can grow in Edmonton, including growing tips, variety recommendations, and fun facts about each one.

Strawberries

Strawberries. One almost ripe, several others not ripe

Strawberries

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa) are one of the easiest and most rewarding berries to grow in Edmonton. Choose from June-bearing (single large crop), everbearing (two smaller crops), or day-neutral (continuous fruiting). Zone 2-3.

Best Varieties for Edmonton:

  • ‘Kent’ – early, productive, with excellent flavor
  • ‘Bounty’ – large, soft berries
  • ‘Seascape’ – great everbearer

Growing Tips:

  • Plant in full sun in raised beds or containers with well-drained soil.
  • Use straw mulch to suppress weeds and protect fruit.
  • Replace beds every 3–4 years for best production.

Fun Fact: Strawberries aren’t actually berries in the botanical sense — they’re considered “aggregate fruits” because each tiny seed (called an achene) on the surface is actually its own separate fruit! So when you eat a strawberry, you’re eating dozens of little fruits all stuck together.

Raspberries

stainless steel bowl of raspberriesRaspberries (Rubus spp.) grow very well in Edmonton and when properly maintained, they will produce high yields for years. Available as summer-bearing or everbearing types. Zone 2-3.

Best Varieties:

  • ‘Boyne’ – extremely hardy, sweet red berries
  • ‘Red Mammoth’ – everbearing
  • ‘Honeyqueen’ – hardy yellow raspberry

Growing Tips:

  • Provide full sun and good air circulation.
  • Prefers moist, well-drained soil
  • Water deeply and consistently, especially during flowering and fruiting.
  • Prune dead canes annually after harvest.

Fun Fact: Raspberries are part of the rose family and have hollow centers when picked—unlike blackberries. Raspberries are actually made up of dozens of tiny individual fruits called drupelets, each with its own seed. So every raspberry you eat is really a little cluster of tiny fruits—talk about teamwork in nature!

Saskatoons

Native to Alberta, Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) are extremely cold-hardy and grow as shrubs or small trees. Zone 1-3.

Best Varieties:

  • ‘Smoky’, ‘Northline’, ‘Thiessen’ – all are well-suited for local conditions

Growing Tips:

  • They tolerate a wide range of soils, including clay.
  • Drought-tolerant once established.
  • Require minimal maintenance.

Fun Fact: Saskatoon berries have been a vital food source for Indigenous peoples of the Prairies for thousands of years and were often used in pemmican and traditional medicines. They’re also packed with twice the antioxidants of blueberries, making them a true prairie superfruit!

Haskaps

Haskaps (Lonicera caerulea, aka Honeyberries) are one of the first fruits to ripen in spring. These hardy shrubs originate from Siberia and northern Japan. Haskaps have a unique sweet-tart flavor that’s often described as a mix between blueberries, raspberries, and black currants—making them a favorite for jams, smoothies, and even wine. Zone 2-3.

Best Varieties:

Growing Tips:

  • They prefer full sun and rich well-drained soil.
  • Mulch around the plants to retain moisture.
  • Protect blossoms from late frosts with floating row cover, if needed.

Fun Fact: The name “haskap” comes from the Ainu people of northern Japan and Russia, where these berries have been enjoyed for centuries as a traditional food and medicine. Haskaps are one of the earliest berries to ripen in the spring, often ready to pick before strawberries! They’re sometimes called “nature’s blue energy bombs” because they’re packed with antioxidants and vitamins.

Currants: Red, Black, and White

Currants (Ribes) are compact, shade-tolerant shrubs with tart, vitamin-rich berries. Zone 2-3

Best Varieties:

  • Red: ‘Red Lake’
  • Black: ‘Ben Sarek’, ‘Titania’
  • White: ‘White Imperial’

Growing Tips:

  • Currants do well in partial shade, making them ideal under deciduous trees.
  • Prune old wood each spring.
  • Water regularly and mulch to help retain moisture.

Fun Fact: Currants were banned in the United States in the early 1900s because they were thought to help spread a disease harmful to the timber industry! Thankfully, today they’re back as delicious, tart berries, perfect for jams, jellies, and syrups. Black currants contain up to four times more vitamin C than oranges.

Gooseberries

Tart and juicy, gooseberries (Ribes (sometimes placed in the genus Grossularia)) come in red, green, and yellow varieties and grow on thorny shrubs. Zone 3

Best Varieties:

  • ‘Pixwell’ – reliable in Zone 3
  • ‘Captivator’ – nearly thornless

Growing Tips:

  • Space well for air circulation to prevent mildew.
  • Prune to open the center of the shrub.
  • Birds love them, so consider netting.

Fun Fact: Gooseberries have a long history in European gardens and were once considered so special that in England, you needed a license from the king just to grow them! Their tart flavor makes them a prized ingredient in pies, jams, and even wine. Gooseberries were once banned in North America due to their link to white pine blister rust.

Blueberries

Blueberries (Vaccinium) are tricky to grow in Edmonton due to our mostly alkaline soil (they prefer acid), but it can be done in raised beds or containers. I’ve actually planted six blueberry plants close to my spruce tree, they seem to do okay although they get nibbled by (I presume) the neighbourhood jackrabbits (hares) that eat the twigs and bark off of shrubs during the winter months. I plan to fence them this year. Zone 3.

Best Varieties:

  • ‘Northblue’, ‘Northcountry’, ‘Chippewa’ (half-high types)

Growing Tips:

  • Use containers filled with acidic soil mix (peat moss, bark, pine needles). I grow mine under and near my Spruce tree to get that extra acidity from the spruce needles.
  • 2 or more varieties are needed for cross-pollination
  • Keep pH between 4.5 and 5.5.
  • Protect from winter wind and bunnies.

Fun Fact: Blueberries are one of the few naturally blue foods in the world—and their deep hue comes from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that may help boost memory and brain health. So yes, eating blueberries really is brain food!

Chokecherries

Chokecherries (Prunus virginiana) are a native Alberta shrub or small tree, with tart, astringent fruit. Best cooked and used for syrups, jellies, and wine. While they are often called berries, they are actually drupes. Zone 2-3.

Growing Tips:

  • Very cold hardy and low maintenance.
  • Grow well in poor or dry soils.
  • They sucker readily, so plant where they can spread.

Fun Fact: Like Saskatoons, Chokecherries were a staple food for Indigenous peoples across the Prairies. They were often pounded—pits and all—into pemmican, a high-energy trail food mixed with dried meat and fat that could last for months. Talk about the original power bar!

Conclusion

Part One has shown just how many hardy, fruitful options you can grow right here in Edmonton. Whether you’re aiming to fill your freezer or simply snack in the garden, these berries are a solid start to your backyard bounty.

But we’re not done yet! In Part Two, we’ll dig into even more unique and lesser-known berry plants—from elderberries and aronia to the goji—and help you expand your edible landscape even further.

Stay tuned for Part Two: “Beyond the Usual Berries” — where Edmonton’s unexpected berry heroes take the spotlight.