Sandy: Wonderful pictures. It's interesting to me that the Little Yellow, Phaon Crescent, and Dogface were all more strongly marked than ones I have seen. What time of year were those pictures taken? --- About those sterile cultivars: We have a tree around here, the Bradford Pear, that is a sterile import from China. However, it is also fragile. Branches fall off either in wind, or else in the spring when the branches are full of sap and flowers. We had one fall over in our yard (when the girls were outside ... yikes!). So, to remedy this, other sterile cultivars with improved strength were created to replace the Bradfords. BUT It turned out that the sterile cultivars could *cross-pollinate* the Bradford. The result is that Bradford hybrids are now escaping, and taking over, in the wild. Bummer, dude. (That's not a criticism of the Lantana; garden flowers are not much of a threat. Rather, I'm making a general observation about the quirks of sterility). Jeff

RE: Raspberry x Blackberry hybrids clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by farmfreedom (My Page) on Tue, Dec 15, 09 at 14:31 Yes you can cross: raspberries , blackberries , mulberries , wineberries ,dewberries , tayberries , boisenberries ,loganberries , salmonberries ,black caps, can all crossbreed . There is even a "white blackberry" developed by Luther Burbank The Nothernmost most cold resistant fruits in the world are berries. We should be using the most cold resistant fruits in the world to extend the range of all berries that they can crossbreed with . o RE: Raspberry x Blacberry hybrids clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by henry_kuska z5 OH (kuska@neo.rr.com) on Thu, Dec 17, 09 at 14:34 See: http://www.rosehybridizers.org/forum/message.php?topid=2986 for additional "possibilities". Here is a link that might be useful: link for above o RE: Raspberry x Blacberry hybrids clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by tugbrethil Sunset 13, USDA 9 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 16, 10 at 1:27 Wait a minute, farmfreedom! All of the brambles (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) are members of the rose family (Rosaceae), while mulberries are members of the Moraceae, along with figs and the rare succulent Dorstenia. There is virtually no structural similarity between the families: are you sure that mulberries and blackberries will hybridize? Kevin : ) o RE: Raspberry x Blacberry hybrids clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by farmfreedom (My Page) on Mon, Feb 1, 10 at 16:30 I believe if you look up the "TAY berry " or the "Logan berry " you will find that that is the cross breed. Also If this was not true How Did Luther Burbank develop the " White Blackberry " . He is also said to Have crossed Strawberries and Blackberries which I would like to see if anyone has a picture . The Nothernmost most cold resistant fruits in the world are berries. We should be using the most cold resistant fruits in the world to extend the range of all berries that they can crossbreed with . 1. Will native strawberries (F. vesca or F. virginiana) cross-pollinate (freely, open-pollinate) with F. ananassa or even F. moschata? I know that half of the gene-pool comprising F. ananassa is F. virginiana, but I'm not sure if this was 'forced' under controlled conditions not present under normal circumstances - just like when you force American persimmon (var. virginiana only) to hybridize with D. kaki (with much effort)? With strawberries it depends on if they are diploid, triploid, quadriploid, etc. 2.Native plums (P. angustifolia; P. americana; P. maritima; P. alleghaniensis; P. pumilla var. besseyi) with European plum (P. domestica) or with the Asian plums (including P. tomentosa). Someone said the natives will not hybridize with the European species but will with (?all)Asian species. Plums,beach plums, apriocots, peaches (including nectarines), almonds and I believe sand cherries can all cross breed with each other , but not with real cherries . 3. The wild native mints (or plants in the mint family) with the Eurasian mint types. 4. The native garlic spp. with the Eurasian garlic spp. garlic can cross with onions( shallots) and other garlic but neither can cross with leaks. 5. Are there natural native crab apple x European apple hyrbids? Yes 6. Other then the supposed Amelanchier canadensis x A. laevis alleged hybrid resulting in A. x grandifolia, will the various Amelanchier spp. hybridize with one another - i.e. A. alnifolia, A. canadensis, A. humilis, etc. with one another? 7. Will the various hickories hybridize with one another, such as pecan x shagbark x shellbark, or are these either extremely rare hybridizations or ones requiring human intervention? Luther Burbank crossed them and crossed the heart nut and all the walnuts . he was trying to cross the walnut with the pecan when he died. 8. Will the various native plums hybridize with one another? - I think several will with A. americana, but not sure if those that would will hybridize with one another. Probably 9. Will native currants and gooseberries hybridize with their European counterparts? And will native currants/gooseberries hybridize freely among themselves? currants X gooseberries are called jostaberries 10. Will native raspberries and blackberries from the north east hybridize with those (Rubus) from the western states? Same question for native blueberries/huckleberries from the east and western coast? Why not ?

I agree with Tom about crabapple/cherry...or possibly plum. These are all in the same family. If you decide to go that route it will be important for you to look at the mature height/width for the particular variety you choose. Some are pretty big/wide, say 25-35 feet wide, which would be a bad fit for the location you're thinking of. If you're set on that type of tree, you might consider asking for help on the Trees forum, since many of those are non-native and less interesting to most of us on the Native Plants forum. Another possibility would be the Landscape Design forum. On either of those I think you would find people who have a lot of experience with purple-leaved Prunus/Malus cultivars of various sizes and forms. If you're looking for a suggestion for a native ornamental or shade tree, I'm sure we could offer some ideas here, especially if you let us know what zone you're in...

I've been reading this one topic a lot and visiting the different nurseries online. I love edible landscaping, especially fruits and berries. I have Washington Hawthorns, Elderberries (Adams/Johns), 3 grapevines, 4 dwarf cherry trees, a mulberry tree (Morus alba), strawberries, blackberries, amber raspberries, coralberries, and blueberries mixed in with perennial flowers in my urban yard. When I stop reading the topics long enough to figure out how to post pictures, I will post some berry pics as I have two different berries that I didn't plant and need an ID. I've been looking high and low on the internet, but can't figure out what they are on my own. Both of the unknown berries were in my yard before I started planting stuff, so I know it isn't stuff I've purchased or piggybacked in with stuff I purchased. I also don't see them elsewhere in my neighborhood and the hubby worries they might be poisonous - I'm tempted to taste them every year. I planted the hawthorns for the songbirds to eat. I think I have about 25 planted and thriving since last spring. I'm hoping the birds will eat those and the coralberries more and leave me with enough of the other fruits that I end up with stomach aches from eating too much. Next year, along with doubling the amount of grape vines, I'll probably plant 5 more blackberries (3 different varieties tbd this winter.) I will also plant at least 2 varieties of red raspberries. If you haven't noticed, I like plants with thorns. I used the Hawthorns to create a hedge on the north and south sides of my front yard. But I will move them all to the north side and put a blackberry hedge on the south side. I have to do this to keep the mailman, neighbors and felines out of my yard - I have to protect my flowers also. I want my yard to be a sanctuary for the birds, but cats keep visiting and stalking the poor birds because I have several neighbors that let their cats roam the neighborhood as they please. After my thorny plants started growing, my yard hasn't been the neighborhood litter box it once was. (I just hope I don't accidently sit on my thorny babies like I did many years ago on a rose bush because I literally could not sit for weeks!) I also haven't had to worry about my indoor-only cat being worked into a frenzy from the cats taunting her at the windows. Anyhow, I realize now that there are many many serviceberries but I can't find good photos of them. I've found a lot of information, some drawings, and a few photos that looked like wilted flowers. I also haven't seen any mention of thorns - do any serviceberry plants have thorns? Where can I find clear photos of a few different types alongside good descriptions? (I'm planting thornless fruit away from the property borders.) I still need plants for my edible hedge along the front/west side of my front yard - hopefully thorny and growing at least 4' -6' high. Otherwise, I'll continue to use the Washington Hawthorns for a hedge but add 2 Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Aphrodite') bushes for the butterflies on each side of the front gate. After all that, I still have a couple spots left for either serviceberry, or maybe currants. A few photos of the serviceberry growing in your gardens would help me choose.