First-off, impressive as ALWAYS, Kiwifruit! I should have thought to drop you an email. Btw, I think you said you were looking into picking-up a certain book (forgot the subject matter) a few months back that I should drop you an email for your review of it - maybe that wasn't you? I didn't know that chokeberries, pears, and mountain ash could cross with serviceberries (just knew that serviceberries chould be used as rootstock for them). What I gather from what you've written, even if hybridization occurred between the various native hawthorns, various native blueberries, between pear-serviceberry-[some]chokeberries, etc. these would likely be infertile donkies. I guess that apple orchards have made it impossible to know if your average crab apple (such as Malus coronaria) doesn't have some Malus x domestica in their lineage since they hybridize, or would the union between M. coronaria nad M. x domestica result in a sterile hybrid? Kiwifruit, I don't want to do embryonic rescue, since I don't want any native/non-native hybrids. As for sterile hybrids, I can deal with that; i.e. say if my Sorbus americana (American mountain ash) hybridized with my pears - at least the offspring would be sterile and I will not risk diluting the gene-pool of my native Aronia spp. and Sorbus americana plants. I don't mind non-natives crossing with non-natives, such as with pear types, as I will not be breeding non-natives, just having them for fruit. You say that different chromosome numbers and sterile hybrids would be the biggest problem - well, I would not mind sterile hybrids that are easily identifiable as hybrids (since they will not be mistaken for a distinctive native, but rather a hybridization between native/non-native), but I don't know what is meant by different chromosomes counts? John & theloud, Well, although I will be doing controlled (amateur-level breeding), I wouldn't exclude the benefit of having random chance seedlings pop-up in the woods and meadow should the fruits be superior. So, in this case, I would highly prefer to KNOW that there is not ANY realistic chance that native/non-native hybridization has occurred. theloud, Although Fragaria virginiana is a parent of the common garden strawberry, that doesn't mean that this was a natural union, etc. Thanks, Steve

I have killed a Harry Lauder's Walking Stick! I love weird plants. I have something called a Caterpillar Plant, don't know if it will grow in your zone. Dranunculus is another strange and stinky plant. Sea Holly is cool, and I like rattlesnake grass and bunnytail grass too. Pregnant Onion is another oddity.

Such a fun swap. Thank you Gail and Gretchen for organizing this, and thank you to everyone for your generosity. Besides the awesome plants I brought home, I also love the handmade gardening apron, the handmade scarf and other non plant gifts. Dan and I even brought home an original drawing by Grace.

Robin, I looked up pictures of that and it's a real looker! Congratulations on getting flowers! Come spring I may grow St. Vincents Lilac again. You probably know that it has purple flowers,is related to the tomato, and is in the nightshade family. My seeds are old, but may still germinate. I've had a love afair with JMG's, and it seems I've not had room for anything else. Vines are so charming, aren't they? :) Arum