Interest is growing in unusual fruit varieties thanks to adventurous eaters and expanding diversity that’s highlighted cultural foods.

“Fruit aficionados and orchardists are looking for that new or novel fruit crop,” said Lisa DeVetter, a Washington State University associate professor.

Commercial farms also hope to tap into niche markets.

WSU Extension recently released a growers guide for uncommon fruit in western Washington, which also applies in western Oregon and southwestern British Columbia.

The guide includes quince, gooseberries, currants, shipova and other fruit.

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“There’s been some emerging success stories, a great example being kiwiberry or hardy kiwi, that is really gaining popularity and interest. You can even find it in major retail stores periodically, like Costco,” DeVetter said.

Everybody hearts hardy kiwi

Scott Lukas, Oregon State University associate professor, said some fruits grown in the Northwest have tight margins, and farms face international competition.

“We produce the best fruit in the world here but it’s not always the cheapest, so new crops, diversifying options, having new potential, that’s what drives agriculture,” he said.

Lukas is hoping for state funding to investigate kiwiberry as a commercial crop in Oregon, including whether advanced cold storage could extend the freshness of ripe fruit into the holidays.

He estimated there’s 50 acres of kiwiberries at farms experimenting with production.

“Think of the blueberry industry 30 years ago here. … We’re in the infancy of this crop,” Lukas said.

And there are numerous examples of former “exotic” foods now commonplace in the United States.

Hardy kiwi vines, from northern Asia, grow well in Oregon and Washington.

The fruit comes in a better package than larger fuzzy kiwi — kiwiberries are the size of grapes with smooth skin.

“It’s exploding with flavor but they’re easy to handle and consume,” Lukas said. “Nutritionally, they’re powerhouses, too.”

Hardy kiwi is harvested in October and November, when other berries have already been processed, and it’s usually picked hard and ripens in storage, so damage is less of a worry.

“It’s a crop that really has a place, and it’s just so tasty,” Lukas said.

Trial and error

OSU’s kiwifruit growing guide was published in 2021.

But when retired real estate appraiser Robert Williams of Broken Shovel Kiwi Farm started growing hardy kiwi on trellises at his Burien, Wash., home in 2011, he learned through trial and error.

That later extended to selling at farmers markets.

“You always have to give away samples. … Most people don’t know what a hardy kiwi is,” Williams said.

Williams started growing kiwiberry because he heard it was extremely nutritious but couldn’t find any. He now has about 200 vines.

“It’s been pretty much just a research project on my part. … I think this year I will actually make a profit,” Williams said.

Hedging against climate change

Teaching people about unusual fruits is key, said Laura Sweany, horticulturalist for Raintree Nursery in Morton, Wash.

The nursery has a large selection of uncommon plants, and Sweany said WSU’s guide should spur sales.

She said unusual crops also help farmers hedge against climate change.

What traditionally grows well might not always, she cautioned.

“For me, diversity means stability, because you have your bases covered. Single crop systems are inherently brittle,” Sweany added.

Wholesale specialty growers are closing because of land prices and retirements, however.

“I never even had a mulberry until five years ago, then I was like, ‘Where have you been all my life?’ But if there aren’t places to buy these varieties, it’s a moot point,” Sweany said.

Other potential stars

Burnt Ridge Nursery & Orchards in Onalaska, Wash., has 21 acres in fruit and nut production and specializes in obscure varieties.

Owner Michael Dolan said mulberries and elderberries were potential stars.

“Elderberries are so easy to grow. There’s a million different things you can do with it,” Dolan said.

Mulberries are an under appreciated sweet fruit that comes out of dormancy late, so there’s always a consistent crop, he added.

“No question, there’s growing interest in unusual fruits,” Dolan said.