It can be useful to think of perennial fruits for short seasons in groups of seven – first seven, second seven, third seven – when deciding what to prioritize.  The first three groups of fruit bushes (not trees, groundcovers, vines, or nuts) are listed below. This is my current personal view, with a focus on fresh eating, diversity, and ease of growing.

FIRST SEVEN BUSHES

1. BLUEBERRY
2. CHERRY, PIE
3. CURRANT, BLACK
4. ELDERBERRY
5. HASKAP
6. MULBERRY
7. JUNEBERRY

SECOND SEVEN BUSHES

1. GOUMI
2. GOJI
3. GOOSEBERRY
4. RASPBERRY (ESPECIALLY BLACK)
5. CURRANT, RED
6. JOSTABERRY
7. AUTUMNBERRY

THIRD SEVEN BUSHES

1. DOGWOOD (CORNELIAN CHERRY)
2. BLACKBERRY
3. FIG
4. PLUM
5. ARONIA
6. SEABERRY
7. CRANBERRY

Cherries and especially mulberries and juneberries require growing the most bush-like, least tree-like varieties of these species to be planted in small spaces.

The first group of seven provide great flavor, diversity, relative ease of growing, and are mostly blue and black in color.

The second group of seven provide more tangy flavor in general, good ease of growing, and are mostly red in color.

The third group of seven fruits for short seasons, cold climate areas are extremely diverse in most every way – flavor, texture, size, color, and ease of growing.