If you do a web search for 'bush cherries', you will come up with quite a few other possibilities to consider for your mystery cherry. Several other fairly popular varieties like Hansen's or Nanking have been around and available quite a bit longer than the Romance series types. So are probably better established in your neighborhood like the one's you seem to be describing. Don't know about grafting compatibilities on any of these though. Good luck on your search and upcoming grafting efforts.

Mike, From what I read, the mechanism can be from a variety of factors, such as all those mentioned on this thread. In the paper, "Understanding how Rootstocks Dwarf Fruit Trees", the authors claim the effect is purely hormonal. http://www.virtualorchard.net/idfta/cft/2001/april/page46.pdf Although this may be true for the rootstocks they tested, it is not the dwarfing mechanism for all rootstocks. In the paper, "The Dwarfing Mechanism of Citrus Rootstocks..." (see link below) which is more recent research, the authors suggest the dwarfing mechanism for the citrus rootstocks tested was not hormonal. They summarize the various mechanisms of dwarfing very well: "The dwarfing influence of the rootstock over growth of the scion can have several characteristics. First, there are rootstocks that induce intrinsic dwarfing effects over the scion (Cheng and Roose 1995). In this case, the self-rooted rootstocks also show a reduced size. A second model implies an indirect effect that depends on the interaction between both rootstock and scion (McKenzie 1961, Lockard and Schneider 1981). Here, the dwarfing ability varies with the scion variety and disappears when self-rooted rootstocks are used. Third, some rootstocks are postulated to modify canopy development as a result of a negative influence of reproductive development on vegetative growth (McKenzie 1961, Lenz 1967). Other physiological aspects, such as photosynthetic capacity, nutrient metabolism and water relationships, may also be involved (Carlson 1974,Syvertsen and Graham 1985, Schechter et al. 1991). Lastly, it is well known that citrus scion growth can be influenced by pathological agents such as the exocortis viroid on susceptible rootstocks (Rabe et al. 1992)." Although this paper specifically applies to citrus, their sources used in the text I quoted above, are from research from other fruits as well as citrus. For example in their second mechanism postulated (i.e. some degree of graft incompatibility causes the dwarfing) they site research from apple testing (i.e. Lockard and Schneider 1981) Additionally their last mechanism postulated doesn't apply to just citrus either. I remember reading once, one of the Malling roostocks had a dwarfing effect, but when researchers cleaned it from viruses (i.e. EMLA) the dwarfing effect was removed. Here is a link that might be useful: The Dwarfing Mechanism of Citrus Rootstocks F7A 418 and #23... This post was edited by olpea on Wed, Apr 30, 14 at 10:08

You seem to be an extremely thoughtful grower and interested in precise horticultural knowledge. Of course horticulture in not like mechanical engineering and there is never certainty when applying research to real-life situations. There are very many variables. Creating a bern for an establishing tree can be advantageous. It assures better water drainage on the raised soil, tends to stay loose and friable and warms up faster in the spring. In all but the coarsest soils it probably is a plus if the extra managment of mounds is OK and it doesn't bother you appearence-wise. Scion rooting can be a plus but many varieties and species can't easily dedifferentiate from trunk tissue to root tissue and occassionally can rot from having soil placed against non-rooting tissue as I understand it. This is difficult to evaluate in the field, and I will say that I've seen a lot of trees with soil and mulch piled against the trunks without root or rot over the years and in the forest trees mulch themselves indiscriminately, often piling rotting wet leaves agains the trunk with no apparent damage. For non-dwarfing rootstocks it is usually recommended they be planted with graft union right at ground level although I really don't know why. I just try to plant trees slightly above the level they grew at the nursery to allow for a little sinking and mulch. As far as what species and varieties are capable of rooting from trunk tissue you probably can only find out from your own experimentation (unless you get lucky here). I believe that the tendoncy of apples to root this way is highly exaggerated and only a small percentage of varieties planted below the graft union on dwarfing root-stock are apt to start scion rooting and become excessively vigorous. Harold Tukey, the late dwarf-fruit tree specialist, wrote in his classic "Dwarf Fruit Trees" in 1964, that most varieties grown at that time were incapable of easily rooting from buried scion wood. He also said that it used to be a common practice to purposely deeply bury cold-tender rootstocks like quince (used for pear dwarfing) to prevent them from freezing in harsh climates. The pears generally failed to root out above the buried graft union and the rootstock maintained its dwarfing affect. I would be interested in others to speak of hands-on experience with scion-rooting. Burrying the scion-wood is almost universally warned against when using dwarfing rootstock, but I wonder if it isn't 90% agri-legend.

Thank you all! This is the 3rd. season after the graft onto Evans about 6 inches off the ground. It was a new sucker from the old tree near the trunk. The new shoot I bent down about 10 to 20 inch from the ground, you can weigh it down a bit more come winter and bring it up in the growing season. I haven't pruned it yet..we'll see what's doing next year, with good snow cover it should have a larger crop, this way I think it will be more predictable then heaving the tree grow up and expose it to the element of harsh winter. No hardy sweet cherries yet for zone 3 or colder, I'm still testing some from Europe.