Good fruit for grafting to serotina

[Oolie]

In Alabama I'm seeing the native type cherry trees sprouting around the yard, and they are quite vigorous.

I get about 800-1200 Chill hours in Southeast Alabama, but the major concern is foremost disease resistance against blights, and second, graft compatibility with the wild types. Then fruit quality. Some prunus are extant, so pollinators are available.

What varieties would you recommend grafting?

[Galatians522]

Wild black cherry is in the "bird cherry" subgroup. Most cultivated prunus are not compatible with it. Capulin would be the exception. It is quite possible that Capulin would not be hardy enough to survive in Alabama.

[Oolie]

Thank you very much, I appreciate your post as always.

I was reading that Capulin is hardy down to 19F, which is the normal low for my area, so I may let them establish to graft in the future.

[Galatians522]

Thank you very much, I appreciate your post as always.

I was reading that Capulin is hardy down to 19F, which is the normal low for my area, so I may let them establish to graft in the future.

For what its worth, Capulin suposedly will hybridize readily with Black Cherry (some botanists claim that Capulin is just a black cherry sub-species). I think Ralph Sharpe (who also bred FL peaches and blueberries) had some crosses that he made in Gainesville. I have no idea what happened to the trees.