When do the first blooms of spring occur? (Portland: move to, land)

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

If you drive around on old logging roads in the Mt Hood National Forest, you will see wild Rhodies growing on hillsides all over the place.

My wife used to gather cuttings, root them, and had quite the wild Rhodie garden.

I would love to find some local hiking trails near Portland where they grow in the wild or anywhere in the PNW for that matter. I'll have to check around Mt Hood.

Thanks,
Derek

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by leastprime

Peaches Mid to late March. But our first year as peach grower was March 3 and subsequent years later in March....signifing a warming trend.

I had no idea peach trees were that far north. I thought they were strictly a Southern tree. Here it is 5:36AM Central Time and I already learnt something new today.

[JackieLovesSun]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

I had no idea peach trees were that far north. I thought they were strictly a Southern tree. Here it is 5:36AM Central Time and I already learnt something new today.

where do you live, Ivory Lee Spurlock? I just relocated to the Gorge, that's as far north as you can go and still be in Oregon, and we are known for our fruit including peaches. Cherries, most of all. I love fruit and can't wait until next year.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by JackieLovesSun

where do you live, Ivory Lee Spurlock? I just relocated to the Gorge, that's as far north as you can go and still be in Oregon, and we are known for our fruit including peaches. Cherries, most of all. I love fruit and can't wait until next year.

I live in Austin, Texas. I always thought peach trees grew only in the Deep South, or at least the Southern 3rd of the United States, from Central Texas to South Carolina. I use to live in Indiana and I don't remember any peach trees growing there, or if they did, I didn't know about it.

[PNW-type-gal]

Most of Oregon, west of the Cascade Mountains that divide the state from north to south, is USDA zone 7-9. You can even grow citrus, in pots, if it is moved indoors in winter.

[StealthRabbit]

Lots of great peaches in Western Colorado !!

And there is a 'fruit valley' in Western MT

Okanogan area of WA and BC has variety of fruit

And yes... Michigan! (north of Indiana!) has nice peaches and stone fruits. (Even UP Michigan)

Cherry blossoms can be spectacular in OR / WA Usually about Easter time. . We had a Royal Anne tree that spanned over 80' dia in the front yard of our u-pick fruit farm in SW WA. (harvest was over 2000# from that tree alone, and we had ~ 20 cherry trees.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

I would love to find some local hiking trails near Portland where they grow in the wild or anywhere in the PNW for that matter. I'll have to check around Mt Hood.

Thanks,
Derek

Go to a ranger station and buy a map, or just go to BiMart and buy a Delorme Atlas.
All you have to do is get off the main roads and you will find Rhodies.

Also remember you will be off the main roads so all backwoods safety precautions should apply!
If something happens to you on the backside of some small hill behind some bushes they might not find you for a long time.


I have to warn you that that they are kind of spindly and not great looking when growing wild.
Not at all like a commercially grown rhodie you would find at at a nursery.
My wife would take cuttings, root them in some sort of rooting hormone, and then would have to "cultivate" the heck out of them to make them look good.
Different types of flowers, too.

Don't try to do it this time of the year, you will get stuck in the snow and mud, and no flowers so you won't know what you are getting.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Lots of great peaches in Western Colorado !!

And there is a 'fruit valley' in Western MT

Okanogan area of WA and BC has variety of fruit

And yes... Michigan! (north of Indiana!) has nice peaches and stone fruits. (Even UP Michigan)

Cherry blossoms can be spectacular in OR / WA Usually about Easter time. . We had a Royal Anne tree that spanned over 80' dia in the front yard of our u-pick fruit farm in SW WA. (harvest was over 2000# from that tree alone, and we had ~ 20 cherry trees.

You're right. I did a google search and sure enough, peach trees are quite plentiful Indiana. I don't remember hearing anybody talk about having peach trees in their yards or any peach orchards when I lived in Indiana. When I think of peaches, my 1st thought is the State of Georgia. There's quite a few peach trees here in Central Texas, which is about the same latititudes as Central and South Georgia, so that's why I assumed peach trees must be a Southern tree, kinda like pecan trees are. Actually I never even gave it a 2nd thought until this morning in this thread.

Indiana had alot of apple trees and apple orchards. Apple cider was very popular there in the fall. I remember a few cherry orchards and cherry trees in Indiana, but unfortunately they weren't the marciano cherry trees. The cherry trees in Indiana produced cherries that were a bit too tart for me in addition to there being an annoying pit in every cherry that needed to be spit out somewhere making them an inconvenient indoor snack if there's no trash can nearby, unlike seedless grapes.

[Larry Caldwell]

This was my back yard this afternoon. A friend calls these "spring heralds." I call them wild ginger. The location is along a creek bank sheltered by a 200 year old maple with branches so large they provide shelter even without leaves. Located in Douglas County.



https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=3&theater

[Mossa]

Originally Posted by JackieLovesSun

Hey, Derek

I just want you to know I love every photo you post and I routinely want to hit "like" (I mean "rate this post positively") for them all but city-data says I need to spread it around before I increase your "reputation" again. - just FYI, I like them all!

Second that.