Fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, and other edible plants that grow well in Midwestern gardens:

Almond (zones 6-9)
Apple (zones 3-9)
Apricot (zones 5-9)
Aronia (zones 4-9)
Asparagus (zones 4-9)
Basil (annual)
Beans (annual)
Bitter melon (zones 5-10)
Blackberry (zones 5-8)
Blueberry (zones 3-9)
Borage (annual)
Cabbage (annual)
Chamomile (zones 4-10)
Cherry (zones 4-9)
Chestnut (zones 5-9)
Chives (annual)
Chokecherry (zones 2-6)
Crabapple (zones 3-9)
Cranberry (zones 3-8)
Cucumber (annual)
Currant (zones 3-8)
Eggplant (annual)
Elderberry (zones 2-9)
Filbert (zones 4-8)
Ginger (6-10)
Gooseberry (zones 3-8)
Grape (zones 4-10)
Hazelnut (zones 4-9)
Hickory (zones 4-9)
Highbush cranberry (zones 2-7)
Hops (zones 4-10)
Jerusalem arthichoke (zones 2-9)
Jujube (zones 6-10)
Kale (annual)
Lettuce (annual)
Lotus (zones 5-10)
Maple (zones 3-6)
Marjoram (annual)
Melons (annual)
Mint (zones 4-10)
Mulberry (zones 5-10)
Nanking cherry (zones …

Bright berries can provide a beautiful splash of color to your garden during the long, cold Midwestern winter while providing an important winter food source for birds and other wildlife.

Many native and naturalized shrubs produce berries that linger until midwinter or even early spring.

The classic winter shrub American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a native broadleaf evergreen with bright red berries that are popular with birds. It is hardy from zones 5-9, but can sometimes be coaxed to survive in colder climates against a wall with warm southern exposure and …