Greenthumbz, those are gorgeous pics! I've heard that there are a couple of trees that are not native to North America but are used by significant numbers of native insects. 1) Malus/Crabapples - native, hybrid, or exotic, Douglas Tallamy's book stated that the leaf chemistry is so similar that North american insects will use all species. This certainly bears true in my experience. I've got lots of crabs, a few specimens and a crazy wild thicket full of them in back,and they are bird magnets, not just for the fruits in the fall but for the nectar and insects in spring and summer. 2) Picea abies/Norway spruce - don't have any personal experience, but was told this by an ornithology student at Cornell who was doing a study on the subject

Hi MaxG- I'm afraid I'm no help whatsoever, having only gotten here about a month ago myself. I'm sure others will have offerings, but I just wanted to welcome you to the blast furnace, lol. If you are out and about right now, the Red Yucca (Heperaloe parviflora) is going to seed - they're a kind of grassy looking plant with coral spikes of blooms. I'd wait until the seed heads turn brown and harvest some of those puppies. Tough as nails, nice splash of color, very xeric. Have you tried your hand at propagating plants yet? I'd put a pair of clippers in your glovebox and when it seems right, grab a piece of some pretty stuff that you see out there, and stick it in a baggie with a wet paper towel until you get home. It often speeds up the process of growing stuff, too, when you don't have to worry about germination, etc. Best of luck with your gray water system - I'm working the DH hard for an outdoor shower for the same purpose. I used to use my wash water too, but the washing machine is internal to this house, boo. HTH!

Does anyone have any hop tree seeds to share

HJ pollinating insects cover miles a day in their foraging so there will almost certainly be other pears within flying distance. Birds who eat the fruit also cover quite a distance and they will excrete the seeds far from your yard. You really can't tell if your tree has offspring in the surrounding area. They could be several miles away. GG it's true Calleries haven't been planted here for more than a few decades. It used to be mostly cherries and crabs but pears are widespread now. There're several on the green at the end of my road. I'm out in the countryside quite a bit but haven't seen any seedlings yet. I'll keep an eye open. I do think it's probably summer heat rather than summer moisture that is the requirement for seeding around. Last summer we had a long hot dry spell and there are seedpods on my Hibiscus syriacus for the first time ever. Maybe with climate change Calleries will start seeding soon?