Service Tree, Jerusalem Pear, Whitty Pear, Sorb Tree

Hi, I just bought seeds and will try to grow this tree now...

As for your request jstaydavis, what kind of fruit would you...Read More like?

There are alot of frut that can tolerate this. I come from Norway... We have similar climate... Tell me what you want to grow and I'll point you in the right direction...

Luther Burbank, who was as famous in his day as Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, planted many Sorbus domestica at his Experiment Farm in Seb...Read Moreastopol, CA (www.wschsgrf.org) They have thrived there, and now in early October, one tree has dropped enough fruit to cover the ground beneath. Contact us for more information.

I bought Sorbus domestica (apple form) from Jung's almost 5 years ago, and it is now approximately 10-12 feet tall and approximately 4 fe...Read Moreet wide. It's looking more beautiful every year. I don't know what the hardiness of this plant is, but I live in a very windswept area of Illinois (open prairie, no windbreak of any kind), and it has had no die-back at all. Last winter was our worst winter in over 20 years (almost -40F windchill at one time, minus 20F to minus 35F a few times) with several months of temps in the 15F and lower, with and without snow cover. The tree easily took the winter conditions. It suffers no intense summer sun and heat nor any leaf burn. Leaves do look a little exhausted come September/October, but then most trees do by this time. Fall color has been unimpressive but has improved as the tree ages. No flowers/berries yet.

The tree I received from Jung's is grafted and as near as I can tell is the same tree offered by One Green World. I have to say the graft was very successful and now that it's over 1" in diameter there is no longer any visible signs it is a grafted form.

Jung's lists a service tree that is supposed to be hardy to zone 4, but I've heard that story before. My parents started planting fruit t...Read Morerees on our property (zone 4b, southern Minnesota) over 50 years ago, and I'm still trying. Of the 100+ trees we have set out, over the years, we have only 2 Whitney crabs and a Chinese sand pear. Does anyone know if service trees (or any other fruit tree) can live here? We get a a hard winter every 7-10 years, with -20 temps for a few days, and that's when we loose the fruit trees....