The Paw Paws look like they’d be awesome! But unfortunately I think Snowflake is right, and that SD 4B would just be too cold for them.
It looks like the dolgo is really something to try. I did not realize that Hansen did all that. I knew about him, but never really read into what he did!
Yeah, i’m a little concerned about drift as well. Luckily I’m friends with the field owner, but still, it could happen.
I’m on the North side of Moody county, So that would still be 4b. Still you’re right, 4b in SD is very different to other places in the country.
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When the fields next to us are sprayed, they try to be very careful, watching wind direction as best they can, and lowering the spray boom, but those fine drops can carry easily in the wrong direction if the wind swirls at all. …so, a sacrificial screen of some sort isn’t a bad idea.
This is one of the red flesh apples that Hansen produced if you get into grafting. Not necessarily the reddest, or good for eating, or anything like that, but a nice part of SD history.
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I don’t disagree with your conclusion but pawpaw is hardy below zero, so they say.
Just a quick glance it looks like Brookings had some lows of -24F, -19F, -19F and -18F among others, so a bit of a mild winter 
here in n. Maine cold hardiness is hugely influenced by snow depth and size of bushes and trees. in low snow years with -35f even z4a hardy plants get some damage. seen some even kill to the ground with lack of snowfall.
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Lack of snow here is one huge difference between your location and mine. Last winter wasn’t even that cold, maybe -28 or so. I lost a couple young pears on OHxF97 due to lack of snow cover (IMO anyway). Scions and rootstocks…both dead. Any more pears that I plant here will be on ussurian rootstock.
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and don’t you guys also get a lot of wind? in very cold years when its windy we see a lot of damage than if its just cold.
Welcome! I went to college at SDSU and grew up in NW IA so I can relate to what your winters are like. When I moved to WI I wondered what everyone was complaining about since there’s no wind!
I would agree with the above suggestions. Raspberries should be easy for you to grow. You probably have wild black ones growing around. I’ve got a couple varieties of reds that are supposed to be hardy. If you’re ever interested let me know and I can send you some to try. Mulberries are probably also growing around the area. They were always in ditches and by builds from the birds spreading their seeds. You could also probably find some wild plums and graft to them if you want to try some other varieties.
Also, check out: https://purvisnurseryandorchard.weebly.com/ He has some varieties of different fruit listed that has been tested in SW MN.
There are some interesting tales of Hansen’s sometimes dangerous trips to Russia and China in here. Caught in blizzards, stones thrown at their wagons and asphyxiation. Crazy.
http://gardens-by-jean.com/iWeb/N.E._Hansen_Docs_files/With%20a%20Brush%20and%20Muslin%20Bag.pdf
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Reminds me of Frank Meyer’s explorations of China. The stuff he endured is totally crazy.
For reading, I recommend Fruits of Eden by Amanda Harris, or if you want basically a paraphrasing of all of his journal entries, Frank N. Meyer: Plant Hunter in Asia by Isabel Cunningham (out of print).
National Archives/USDA has a lot of original material online too.
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There is a paw paw in Madison, WI (Olbrich) that has fruited…i saw it one fall when i was there looking around…nice sized tree too…that was years back…could be dead now.
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Yes, we get ridiculous amounts of wind. It’s even worse in the Dakotas
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You are right. Pink buds open to produce fragrant, pure white blossoms. 
I misquoted the description I read. Thank you for the correction.
I was talking to a nurseryman today, in Montana, whom I had not met before and he told me that my location, though listed as Zone 4b, is actually more like Zone 3; and also that there are trees that “thrive” here, east of the Continental Divide, will not thrive in western Montana’s “banana belt,” and visa versa. I am in my second year of grafting rootstocks to begin a hobby orchard, and it seems I keep taking two steps forward and one back. Keep living, keep learning, and keep laughing, right?!
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I was corrected by @smsmith for telling you the Dolgo crab has pink blossoms. Actually, the buds are “Apricot-pink”…opening to produce large, fragrant, pure white single flowers." Sorry I misquoted the earlier description.
I was talking to a nurseryman today, here in Montana, who told me he preferred the Kerr crabapple over the Dolgo (both are Zone 3), as the Kerr has larger fruit, it is very delicious eaten out of hand, and it produces a pink jelly that requires no added sweetener, & etc… He also said he uses the Kerr crab as a rootstock for the other trees he sells (Honeycrisp, Cortland, Haralred, & others), as it is a Siberian, cold-hearty, and drought-tolerant tree that performs well in the harshest windswept-prairie-like weather–and also produces a tasty single-variety cider!
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So, he must be using Kerr seedlings that he grows himself for rootstocks?
Cool! Thanks for that link, that looks really interesting. Grafting is something i’m interested in, assuming I’m successful in growing the trees!
Huh, I’ll have to look into the kerr as well, that sounds like it would certainly fit the ticket.
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