Pawpaw is the largest native North American fruit. Its current range is south of New England, north of Florida and as far west as Nebraska. It is a small, pyramidal tree with long, drooping, tropical-looking leaves. Pawpaw is probably too soft and perishable as a fresh fruit for the conventional food chain, but might work well in a local/regional marketing system, as well as direct marketing.

Not only is Chinese dogwood a beautiful ornamental shrub, but it is also said to produce an edible, sweet, delicious fruit. Carandale found little information about the uses and nutritional value of the fruit, but decided to observe it in their test plot.

Also known as the Common Elder, American Elderberry is native to the central and eastern U.S. and southeastern Canada. All parts of the plant (roots, leaves, stems, flowers and fruit) have been used in a variety of ways. Roots, leaves and stems are poisonous but have historically been used for medicinal purposes. Extracts from leaves have been used as an insect repellent for the skin and an insecticide to treat fungal infections such as leaf spot and powdery mildew.

The European version of the American elderberry , this plant is native to Europe and has all the characteristics and uses of its native American cousin. The fruit is slightly larger and darker. Although not well known in the U.S., there is another subspecies native to Europe (S. nigra alba) that is said to have white/green fruit good for fresh consumption.

Mulberry is like blackberry harvested from a tree, but sweeter, without thorns and with a little less flavor. The naturalized white mulberry is adapted to cooler regions of the temperate zone (at least to Zone 4). The fruit may lack the sweet-tart blend that gives black mulberry superior flavor, but it is an acceptable alternative.

Blackberry is a well-known fruit that is overlooked and under-used as a commercial crop in northern temperate regions. It is a widely adapted group of more than 375 species, many of which are closely related apomictic micro-species native throughout the temperate northern hemisphere and South America. Blackberry tolerates poor soils, colonizing wasteland, ditches and vacant lots. Some species are naturalized and can become invasive and a serious weed problem.

Gogi has been a mainstay for a healthy diet in Asia for thousands of years, but virtually unknown in North American until the start of the 21st century. It could become a valuable addition to the American diet as well as an economically significant cash crop for growers, but there is much to learn about cultivars, growing methods and its actual benefit as a functional food.

Asian pears have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years in China, where more than 3,000 cultivars are currently grown. They have also been grown in Japan since at least the 8th century. Asian pears have been in America for about 200 years,Tree-ripened, locally grown fruit could command premiums in a local/regional marketing system with a short supply chain to reduce handling and preserve quality.

The European pear (P. communis), is native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia. Far from uncommon, it is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions. It has been included in the Carandale test plot as a pollinator species for the Asian pear, and to evaluate variability within the species.

The food value of this widespread native cherry was not lost on Native Americans. Remnants found at archeological sites in the Dakotas show it was used extensively for a long time. European settlers adapted the use of chokecherries for jam, jelly, wine and syrup. Chokecherries are high in antioxidant pigments (anthocyanins), a characteristic they share with the unrelated chokeberry (Aronia).