Yeah, Kuffel Creek originally turned me on to the warm climate varieties. I was planning to order from them at some point, and then I was at the local nursery and saw an inexpensive bareroot 5-in-1 with all warm climate varieties and I impulse bought it. Already had the fuji here, and I just recently grafted on the pink, gordon & sekai ichi. I figure that's a good mix to start for my backyard forest garden. I can't fill the whole place up with apples... got to leave space for avocado, citrus, stone fruits, loquats, grapes & persimmons.

They are probably confusing "Trademark" with a plant patent. The only way to have exclusive rights to propagate a plant is through a patent, which is good for 20 years. After it expires anyone can propagate that plant. It would be very difficult to patent a plant that's been under cultivation since the mid-1940's, and if the patent already expired, they're out of luck. By worldwide agreement a plant has a cultivar name that can be freely used by everyone to identify that plant, often in latin or a number from the orchard block, row, and tree. You can come up with a fancy marketing name for the cultivar and trademark that name, but it is not the same as a patent and a cultivar name cannot be trademarked. Let's say the PRI breeding program develops culitvar Co-op 271. They can patent it and release it under the marketing name "Prima-Donna" and trademark that name. After the patent expires in 20 years, you can propagate it, but you may still have to call it Co-op 271 since they own the name, but not the cultivar. "Pink Lady" is a trademark name for Cripps Pink apples, and you have to belong to the association to market apples under that name. But if the cultivar was released over 20 years ago, anyone can propagate and sell Cripps Pink apples. The patent on Williams' Pride just ran out, but I have heard of no restrictions on using the name still.

j0nd03, Sounds like your around Greenwood/Waldron/Hartford. It's true we didn't have as hot of weather, and that certainly makes a difference. Still I watered more than I ever have last summer. The Arkansas River Valley can be brutal at times (I sure don't miss that), if you are located there. So I would agree that some protection from the sun would not be a bad thing. As stated, biggest thing is water, in the Goldilocks zone of not too much or too little, but just right. But I'm sure you know that already. Also our Cornus kousa seem to be a bit slower getting established (maybe 50% slower if I had to put a number on it), so keep that in mind for the next few years. Take pictures and post them. Pretty much everyone likes to see the pictures. Arktrees

I do plan on cancelling the chokecherry. Its too bad, because it is a good looking tree. I like the idea that it starts out green and turns purple. Any other trees that you would recommend that have the same color? I'll have to double check the Constellation Dogwood... perhaps it was mislabeled. Would this tree make a good shade tree for the west side of a patio? They're currently out of stock of the "Ivory Silk", so I'm sticking with the plain Lilac tree. I do like the Serviceberry. I'm a bit concerned that the "tree form" of it will sucker. Is this a valid concern? I've heard that the Chokecherry suckers bad because it's naturally a clump form. Is this the case with the Serviceberry? I'm more interested in the tree from. I'm really interested in a Catalpa, but I've heard the seed pods are messy and poisonous. I would really love the Kentucky Coffee tree... but I have the same concerns regarding the seed pods. The Worplesdon Sweetgum looked nice, except for the spiney balls it bears. I looked at the Mt.St. Helens Plum, but it was all eaten up by beetles. They have a great Autumn Gold Ginkgo, but I don't know if I have the patience for it. Another tree they have in stock (which I know nothing about) is the Katsura Tree. Thanks for the advice!