Fruitnut, you wrote: "Are you talking about what Raintree is calling Blue Honeysuckle? Would love to hear a first hand report on fruit quality." Well, they are the first true fruit to bear anything here in Michigan, ripening about the same time as the very first strawberries. Rhubarb is, of course, earlier by about 4 weeks, but not technically a fruit. I personally love them, and could see them becoming a significant commercial crop in some areas. The flavor is almost exactly the same as a blueberry, although quite a bit more sour (the "Honey" in honeyberry is a reference to the fact that it's a Lonicera, a honeysuckle, not to the attributes of the fruit). It's good for both fresh use (out of hand, on cereal, etc.) and for baking/cooking. I've also found it an easy plant to grow. The only "trouble" with it is that birds, robins in particular, also really like this fruit, and will strip the bush bare at the first sign of ripening. Fortunately, they're not very large bushes, so they're pretty easy to cover. I don't know how they would do in Texas, given their origins in a very cool, temperate to boreal climate, VERY different from S.W. Texas. It would certainly be interesting to find out. Fruitnut, given that you're A) in Texas and B) growing all of this stuff in a greenhouse anyway, can't you grow citrus to fill the gap between the first fruits of spring/summer and the last ones of the autumn?

My strawberries do not dieback. Well some did, but I think they are problem plants. Probably have a leaf fungus. Slugs are easy, just use the organic slug pesticide. Like Sluggo. Raspberries grow in just about anything, Not sure why they would taste different? The only thing I can think of is stink bugs. Strawberries like a rich soil, mine perform better in the better soils. I have one patch which really is used as a ground cover. the soil is poor, and the berries tend to be small and dry. So I guess they would taste better if better soil is used. Thinking about it, some of my raspberries that suffered some winter damage produced berries that were not great. They were small and bitter. But if the cane produced normal sized berries they tasted fine. I have 2 raspberry patches one is in a raised bed with premium soil, the other is in ground with a clay soil that has been amended every year for three years. Still it is rather poor. I cannot discern any difference in taste between the beds.

Sara, that is probably not a disease unless it came fast and you missed it. Big box stores are notorious for putting any label on any plant, so it could be an ornamental grape, a muscadine grape (which needs a cross-pollinator), or who knows what. If your plant still has some leaves on it I would compare the leaf shape with a Fredonia leaf online - grape leaves are a good ID tool. Overall the odds are high that it is not a Fredonia. Scott

I did some research. The strawberry tree in question is a Cudrania tricuspidata also called a Silkworm Thorn and native to China. Hardy to zone 7 and apparently to 5b with milder winters. Mine must be a male tree because it only produces a few fruit with no seeds. That's what one researcher said they'll do. The fruit did have a little taste after sitting in a window sill for a few days but still pretty tasteless.