North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steven Covacci <filtertitle@aol.com>]

This thread concerns Zones 6a through 7a...

Zone Range Limit: Date-Palm, Pomegranate, Strawberry-Tree, Fuzzy-Kiwi, Japanese Persimmon, & other??? semi-hardy subtropics (Zones 6a through 7a)

WITHOUT (much) winter protection, how far have you been able to push the USDA zone range limit for the following fruit types?

Please be sure to sub-divide zone ranges into A & B, actual lowest minimum temperatures the tree/shrub was exposed to, die-back to roots vs winter injury, 

1. Date-Palm (Phoenix spp.)

2. Pomegranate (Punica granatum): hardy cultivars

3. Strawberry-Tree (Arbutus unedo)

4. Kiwi [non-hardy: fuzzy-kiwi; Chinese gooseberry) (Achtinidia deliciosa) 

5. Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki): hardy cultivars

6. Princess persimmon [diamond-leaf persimmon] (Diospyros rhombifolia)

7. Afghanistan fig (Ficas afganistanica) 

8. Edible fig (Ficas carica): hardy cultivars without protection

9. Chinese pistachio (Pistacia chinensis) 

10. ANY OTHER alleged (with inconsistent hardiness data) semi-hardies (Myrtus/Ugni molinae, Feijoa sellowaniana, others?)

Thanks,

Steve Covacci