North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

> Hi again Mike,
> They are different species.  Can't remember the species of Hansen's bush
> cherry.  They look very different, the Nanking is P. tomentosa and the
> leaves are furry.  Hansen has smooth leaves, larger fruit.  And cherries
> have a stem whereas the Nanking grows right on the main stem.  We tried
> Hansen's here, the fruit was good, but the bushes quite small.  Too hot in
> summer here, they were a native to the northern plains states so should do
> well in a colder climate.
> 
> Hector Black, middle TN zone 6
Prunus besseyi is the basic species Hansen used.  Only suitable in dry
climates where the winters are cold and go right from winter to spring.
Here, they die back every spring, then come out when the weather is warm and
dry for the summer.