LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Michigan’s climate isn’t for just anybody, and that includes fruit-bearing plants and trees. There are a few native and non-native fruits you’ve probably heard of that grow in the state: paw paw, apple, grape, cherry and mulberry.
Some fruits, like the kiwi, you might think of as a fuzzy friend of slightly warmer climates than Michigan’s. But a Michigan State University alumnus who farms kiwis in Washington state recently pointed out to MSUToday that, indeed, there is a Michigan State kiwi.
Having discovered the existence of this elusive fruit, what are some other unusual fruit plants that can grow in the Michigan area–including the particularly harsh northern areas of the state?
A 2001 publication from MSU Extension lists a few hardy examples. Some of them are as follows:
- Black currants and red currants
- European and American gooseberries
- Elderberries (common elder)
- Huckleberries, bilberries, blueberries
- Juneberries and saskatoon
- Kiwifruit (hardy)
- Lingonberries
- White mulberry and red mulberry
- Pawpaw (A. triloba–extends into Michigan)
- American persimmon (Certain cultivars adapted to the upper Midwest)
- Quince
- Thimbleberry
