Thanks so much for all your helpful responses! I knew it was a good choice to ask here. This espaliering idea sounds very enticing =] I've never heard of it, I'll be sure to read up about it. I really like persimmons and would love to have one, but thought there was no way I would have room for one. Is any particular type of rootstock required for it (semi-dwarf or dwarf), or is a regular tree fine for the purpose? I am attaching an aerial view of my house, right side is North (amazing what the internet gives you these days): 1. Location of presumed apricot tree. 2. Now I am thinking of planting the Red Baron peach in this location to give it some breathing room. I think it would look more aesthetic a little removed from the apricot. What are your ideas? About 6 feet to the right is a flower bed directly next to the wall and I was thinking of also planting a Washington Navel semi-dwarf or dwarf there. But maybe that would be a good location for the espaliered persimmon instead. 3. I was thinking of planting a kumquat in this patch, do you think it would be a good idea? Backyardener, in those pictures the backyard indeed looks dim and wet, but during the day the side depicted gets a lot of sun and is quite bright, and then lawn had just been watered hence the wetness. I'm hoping I'll be able to pull of some of these trees (fingers crossed). Do you think it's possible to prune that old unruly grapevine all the way down to the trunk and re-train it? I'll take your advice and probably use a 4-arm Kniffin training. mudflapper, thanks for the blueberry tips. I'm a little discouraged that they won't have optimal conditions since they seem to be picky plants, but after paying $40 for both of them I'm damn well gonna try getting them to grow. glenn_russel, some really great ideas, I was thinking about raised beds too. I'll have to see just how and where I could implement them. ashleysf, wooooow that is impressive. 25 types of fruit! Thanks for the link, some really interesting ideas on that website with planting four trees in the same area and keeping them trimmed to a manageable size. tagtail, thanks a lot for the fruit tree list! I like the Fuyu persimmon choice, always ended up eating the Hachiya ones early and getting that nasty astringent throat. I'm impressed you were able to tell I have a fig tree in the background. When we first got the house I actually thought it was a guava for a while until I googled some pictures =) So you would pick espaliered fruit trees over grapes? I'm definitely excited about the idea and would like to try it on at least one tree, but I also don't really want to throw all five of my grapes away. Maybe I'll mix and match. How young of a tree should I get for espaliering? I'm guessing rootstock is preferable? Up till now I have been buying potted containers.

Yes, that's what I think. If you tear the leaves, they should be fairly fragrant - hence the common name spicebush.

in other words.. all leaf bumps ... well maybe not all .. ARE COSMETIC .... and since its a deciduous tree.. they will be gone in fall ... its one of those plagues.. that come and go .. over the decades .... the systemic was probably a brave attempt to thwart EAB .... and i decided.. long ago .... the ash wasnt worth the cost in MI ... you ought to talk with your extension office.. and find out what the odds of long term success are in your county ... consider the bumps an 'extra' show of mother nature ... relish it for it oddity.. rather than worry about the tree ... when you get down to it.. i have seen trees basically made leafless by hailstorms.. and they never look back.. so your little bit of cosmetic leaf damage is nothing ... because the leaf is still intact.. and functioning ... go zen on this type of stuff.. ooohhhmmmmmm ken

collectordi, I don't think it's that one, but the leaves do look the same. These berries aren't in clusters and are not close together. The stems to which these berries are attached are about 3-4 inches long. There are individual berries on each side of those stems going all the way from the top to the bottom, each about 1/2" apart. I don't remember seeing any white flowers on this tree either.