I need some good suggestions for things to grow in zone 7

[tru]

My mother-inlaw lives in zone 7 and loves fruit too, but is scared to try to grow things because she thinks everything will die when winter comes.

Anyone have some cool suggestions? She already has a persimmon and fig tree, doesn't really like apples and peaches.

I'm thinking of getting asian pear to start, does anyone else have good suggestions? she's taiwanese if there's any spices, vegetables etc. that would still grow in zone 7
Thanks so much

[bussone]

Zanthoxylum will handle zone 7 -- any of the species that make sancho/sansho/szechuan pepper.
There are a few North American natives which are less culinary in use but are definitely fit for zone 7.

Raspberries, blackberries, and their family. Blueberries. Ground cherries are happy in zone 7. (Downright invasive...) Plums. Strawberries. You can grow some watermelon. Fennel grows really well. Lemongrass grows well in the summer, but won't take off until nights get hot.

[Rispa]

Spicebush is an American native you could grow. Here in 9 I think it is too hot.

Persimmon will grow in that weather.

Guava if protected should be okay.

Mulberry is a classic in most zones.

Blackberry and rasberry both should do well there.

Actually I'm being sure could grow a lot in ground with a little extra work for protection. I'm experimenting with c9 Christmas lights this winter plus a tent over my plants. Hopefully this year I won't lose anything. Fingers crossed.

[tru]

These are great yall, thank you

[Galatians522]

What about Chinese Jujube? She would likely have been familiar with the Thai kind. Most people consider the Chinese type better.

[Pokeweed]

paw paw, filberts various sumacs.

[brian]

Sour cherries are really good and you can't buy them at the store.  They're still sweet enough to eat fresh. 

[Galatians522]

Sour cherries are really good and you can't buy them at the store.  They're still sweet enough to eat fresh.

I love the flavor of pie cherries. Have you ever had a Duke cherry? They are a hybrid between sweet and pie cherries. I always imagined that they would be really good.

[tru]

What about Chinese Jujube? She would likely have been familiar with the Thai kind. Most people consider the Chinese type better.

It's funny that you say this, she was talking about how she got a bunch of jujube seeds and that's what prompted me to make this thread!

[vnomonee]

not to hijack this thread but which ground cherries are good in zone 7a, are they perennial? i've grown a large annual one that when ripe were OK one year, pineapple flavor, but then got infested with potato beatle or some similar bug the next year. do the zone 7 ground cherries come back from the root system in the spring?

[Galatians522]

What about Chinese Jujube? She would likely have been familiar with the Thai kind. Most people consider the Chinese type better.

It's funny that you say this, she was talking about how she got a bunch of jujube seeds and that's what prompted me to make this thread!

Great! The Thai/Indian one won't be hardy in zone 7, but the Chinese kind should be. One down side is that the Chinese kind puts out root suckers from what I hear. It might be worth getting a grafted tree, though. I believe that Lousiana State University had a breeding program for Chinese Jujube at one point and might have some information on varieties.

[Galatians522]

Plums are big in Taiwan, too. Aren't they? I think there are several nice releases from USDA in Byron and also from Auburn University that would do well in your location. I have been very interested in the AU Cherry plum, but it requires more chill than we get here. Along the same lines as plum, Ume would probably be hardy in your zone. For spices, maybe she could grow ginger, galangal, and tumeric. They would just need to be dug after the first frost and stored in the garage for planting again in spring.

[bussone]

not to hijack this thread but which ground cherries are good in zone 7a, are they perennial? i've grown a large annual one that when ripe were OK one year, pineapple flavor, but then got infested with potato beatle or some similar bug the next year. do the zone 7 ground cherries come back from the root system in the spring?

They are Solanaceae, so I just assumed they were a freely-reseeding annual. It's unclear to me which species I had (it came w/ the house), and it may have been Alkekengi officinarum (formerly Physalis alkekengi) or Calliphysalis carpenteri (formerly Physalis carpenteri) -- those are apparently perennial.

You can always treat them like a tomatillo and just reseed/replant annually.

I found mine to be pretty, but not very tasty, and kind of an invasive weed. They uproot pretty easily from moist soil, though, so extirpating them isn't overly difficult.

[bussone]

Plums are big in Taiwan, too. Aren't they? I think there are several nice releases from USDA in Byron and also from Auburn University that would do well in your location. I have been very interested in the AU Cherry plum, but it requires more chill than we get here. Along the same lines as plum, Ume would probably be hardy in your zone. For spices, maybe she could grow ginger, galangal, and tumeric. They would just need to be dug after the first frost and stored in the garage for planting again in spring.

There's a lot that will grow annually -- mung beans, soybeans, cilantro/coriander, basil (may or may not become perennial; depends on species and location), pretty much any pepper.

Millet, peanuts, strawberries, rosemary, pretty much any allium, and mint are perennial (mint obnoxiously so; don't put it in-ground). You *can* grow tea plants (camellia sinesis), although the harvest will be disappointing. (If you want a challenge, try the related Franklinia tree -- it's an endangered cousin and zone 7 hardy, but it's fussy)