I currently live in Northern MI, but I'd like to be able to grow a garden in a southern area of the United States. This eventually would include fruit trees. I'm not sure where, it would be zone 8, 9, or 10. I'm thinking of Florida. In northern Florida, is it possible to grow the traditional varieties of apples and pears, since it's cooler up there, and gets more chill hours? By 'traditional' I mean traditional, NOT the hybrids designed for southern states. I also have this question regarding other fruit trees that are hard to grow in FL (or any southern state). The ones I'm referring to are plum, peach, and quince. Also, this is off topic, but are there varieties of bananas and mangoes that you could still grow in zone 8 in northern Florida? With the tropical fruit trees, again this is for future reference, as I know that where I live currently, my gardening season isn't long enough, climate is too cold for them, and gardening zone is too low.

Glad now that I brought this subject up...sounds like you have interesting views and questions as well. Veilchen-what you're saying about the shorter the canes, the more damage possibility...good point. That is what I was wondering about. Harry-interesting idea about increased hardiness over the years...sounds plausible Digger-had never thought of that (insects on larger bushes). I just know I would love to start with a little bigger plants in April than I usually do. Donna-I forgot, where in NYS are you!? All I know is that it was kinda nice not to spend time I didn't have anyway last fall, cutting down and carrying away all that extra growth...if I knew I'd be doing it all in April anyway. We haven't had that many ice storms (big one about 8 years ago), but yesterday the ice was AWFUL. I FELL down HARD coming out of my house...very thankful I didn't break my wrist as it slammed backwards in Abe Darby's rose bed!! And to think, I was on my way to the doctor's office anyway. LOL :0) Phyl

Jrsmrs, i started a thread on this very thing at the Far North Forum. They were just bringing trees out when i was there that time, but some of the ones i saw were zone 5s and i was told quite snippily by the head guy in that department that "around here, we're a mix of zone 3 and zone 5"! Good for a laugh, anyway. :-/ We've had Nanking cherries for about 25 years. Some years they produce quite well and other years not so well. I think it depends on how late a frost we've had.

Hi Dax, Abies alba (Good I assume) - yep, should be reasonably OK Abies balsamea (Not Bad, Good) ? - yep, suffers from heat/dry soil Abies beshanzuensis (never heard of it) - probably zone 7 Abies borisii-regis (of the better) - yep, should be good Abies bracteata (don't know anything) - zone 8 Abies cephalonica (seen some good ones around here) - yep, should be good Abies chengii (know nothing) - dubious, but maybe worth a try. Probably a natural hybrid between Abies forrestii and A. chensiensis Abies chensiensis ssp. chensiensis (Asian species - but good I imagine) - worth a try, with hardiest northern origins Abies chensiensis other subsps - not hardy in zone 5 Abies cilicica (good - zone 6 though I think) - agree likely zone 6, but might be worth trying Abies concolor (real good - they're everywhere) - yep Abies concolor subsp. lowiana (decent I presume?) - dubious, probably zone 6/7 Abies delavayi (and its' subspecies - zone 5 - ???) - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies densa (don't know anything) - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies durangensis (?) - zone 7 Abies durangensis var. coahuilensis (?) - zone 7 Abies durangensis var. durangensis (?) - zone 7 Abies fabri (?) - no, zone 7, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies fabri ssp. fabri ? Abies fabri ssp. minensis ? Abies fanjingshanensis ? - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies fargesii - zone 5, but needs cool, wet summers Abies fargesii var. fargesii Abies fargesii var. faxoniana Abies fargesii var. sutchuenensis Abies firma (I think this would be good but zone 6 which really doesn't mean anything to me anymore - whatcha think) - might be worth a try, but don't be surprised if it gets winter killed Abies forrestii - no, zone 7, and also demanding cool, extremely wet monsoon summers Abies forrestii var. ferreana Abies forrestii var. georgei Abies forrestii var. smithii Abies fraseri (should do decenty well I presume) - short-lived, needs cool summers Abies georgei (Zone 6 - ??? croak or not) = A. forrestii Abies grandis ("I don't think so") - interior (Idaho, eastern WA) origins should do well; avoid coastal origins Abies guatemalensis - zone 8/9 Abies guatemalensis var. guatemalensis - zone 8/9 Abies guatemalensis var. jaliscana - zone 8/9 Abies hickelii - zone 8/9 Abies hickelii var. hickelii - zone 8/9 Abies hickelii var. oaxacana - zone 8/9 Abies hidalgensis - zone 7/8 Abies holophylla - yep, should be good Abies homolepis (Good one) - probably good, though likes fairly cool summers Abies homolepis var. homolepis - probably good, though likes fairly cool summers Abies homolepis var.umbellata - probably good, though likes fairly cool summers Abies kawakamii - zone 7/8 Abies koraiensis (Good ?) - typo for A. koreana, delete from database!! Abies koreana (Does well) - but probably fairly short-lived Abies lasiocarpa (ok?) - but probably fairly short-lived Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica (does very well) - yep, though may be short-lived Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa - short-lived, needs cool summers Abies magnifica - very dubious, needs cool summers Abies mariesii - very dubious, needs cool summers Abies nebrodensis (recent topic) I forget though.. - maybe zone 6, but worth a try Abies nephrolepis (Good) - but probably fairly short-lived Abies nordmanniana (The Best) - agreed Abies numidica (Zone 6 - whatcha think) - agree likely zone 6, but might be worth trying Abies pindrow seen em in protected Illinois zone 5 gardens) - doubt it, those will be wrongly labelled! Zone 7/8. Abies polita (Good one - Growing in an arboretum in Iowa) - duh?? Abies polita = Picea polita. Did you mean Abies pinsapo? - if yes, likely zone 6, but might be worth trying Abies procera (?) - very dubious, needs cool summers Abies recurvata - perhaps zone 6, but well worth trying, particularly northern origins Abies recurvata var. ernestii - perhaps zone 6, but well worth trying, particularly northern origins Abies recurvata var. recurvata - perhaps zone 6, but well worth trying, particularly northern origins Abies religiosa - zone 8/9 Abies sachalinensis - may be good but probably fairly short-lived (close relative of A. nephrolepis) Abies sachalinensis var. gracilis - ditto Abies sachalinensis var. mayriana - ditto Abies sachalinensis var. nemorensis - ditto Abies sachalinensis var. sachalinensis - ditto Abies sibirica - southern origins may do well, but perhaps short-lived. Northern origins will succumb to summer heat Abies sibirica ssp. semenovii - well worth trying (if you can find it!!) Abies sibirica ssp. sibirica - as species Abies spectabilis - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, wet monsoon summers Abies squamata - needs very cool summers (grows at up to 4700m altitude in Tibet!!) Abies veitchii - worth a try, but probably fairly short-lived Abies vejarii - zone 7 Abies vejarii ssp. vejarii var. macrocarpa - zone 7 Abies vejarii ssp. vejarii var. vejarii - zone 7 Abies yuanbaoshanensis - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, wet monsoon summers Abies ziyuanensis - no, zone 8, and also demanding cool, wet monsoon summers Hybrids . . . should be more or less intermediate between parents Abies x arnoldiana = A. koreana x A. veitchii Abies x insignis = A. pinsapo x A. nordmanniana Abies x phanerolepis (Good One) = A. balsamea var. phanerolepis - the most heat-tolerant form of A. balsamea Abies x shastensis = A. magnifica var. shastensis Abies x sibiriconephrolepis = A. sibirica x A. nephrolepis Abies x umbellata = A. homolepis var. umbellata Abies x vasconcellosiana = A. pindrow x A. pinsapo (though parentage unconfirmed) Abies x vilmorinii = A. pinsapo x A. cephalonica Resin