North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lon Rombough <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Whenever I see that, I always wonder if the species has been fully 
explored in it's original range.  I can't help but wonder if there were 
plants growing in more challenging parts of the range that should be 
found and brought out.   For instance,  Pyrus betulafolia is often 
considered a somewhat cold tender rootstock for pears.  But if you 
check, you find that the main stock was from material collected at the 
southern edge of it's range, and there are much hardier forms of the 
same species farther north.    I can't  help but wonder if there aren't 
some forms of Chilean Guava that are hardier than what is commonly 
sold.  It's one of the things  NAFEX can do well - look for forms of 
fruits that grow outside the normal range of any given species.
-Lon Rombough

Begin forwarded message:

this fruit that is
marginally hardy in Seattle.