Q for madgardener re: Cornus mas

[zxcvbob]

My cherry tree died last year. I'm thinking about replacing it with a cornelian cherry because Wife wants something with some fall color. You posted a couple of years ago that your Cornus mas was blooming too early (mid January). Did it set fruit that year or get blasted?

How quickly do these trees grow, and is the fruit any good? There's a nursery in Oregon that sells large-fruited named varieties, but I'll probably just go with whatever seedlings they sell at the local nursery.

Thanks, and best regards, Bob, in zone 4

[madgardener]

it did set fruit. (where are you at Bob??

well in eleven years a twig that was in a four inch pot grew to 17-18 foot.........and the "cherries" are good! they grow faster than most dogwoods they are the first thing to bloom around here before the forsythia's, and the flowers are awesome (I'll send you a picture of her in full bloom if you'd like, or post it on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens) There's a

go for a nice size tree if you can...........I happened across mine at a nursery that is now closed up and gone. He called it a Twig leaf dogwood............but it IS Cornus mas........ yer welcome madgardener

[zxcvbob]

madgardener wrote:

17-18 foot.........and the "cherries" are good! > they grow faster than most dogwoods they are the first thing to bloom around here before the forsythia's, and the flowers are awesome (I'll send you a picture of her in full bloom if you'd like, or post it on alt.binaries.pictures.gardens) > There's a >

I'm in southern Minnesota, about 100 miles south of Minneapolis. I just checked the local nurseries today and they don't have any dogwoods except the red-twigged shrubby kind that grows wild around here. I don't know what it's called but it's hardy to zone 3 and almost zone 2.

I called that nursery in Oregon and they said their plants are bare-root and about 18 inches, for almost $30 plus shipping. (I'd much rather get a 3 or 4 foot tree.) They said the plants are hardy down to -30° F, but what I read on the Internet says -25° F. That 5 degrees makes a big difference here, so maybe I should look for something else.

Thanks again, Bob