I have a type of red oak that was supposed to be a Prairie Stature, it died back last year but that happens a lot with things I plant. We had a decent winter so I am thinking that all my plants should do well barring a late frost. Black Walnut, 1 that is 12 years in the ground here, its had its ups and downs, always out grows everything else in my yard once it starts to grow. I am hopeful that it will bloom well this year. Planted Persian walnuts from seed and they are root hardy but are only a couple of inches tall, should take off this year. Shagbark hickory, they were bare root from Quebec, this will be there third summer, should also take off this year. They are also only a couple inches tall and while not starting to grow early are very sensitive to frost, hoping that if they get taller they will be above most frost events. Unity sugar maple are mostly bud hardy, they have only had a small amount of growth but are in a windy spot and with lots of moisture have had their root ball loosened up. They were 9 foot whips when I bought them and had to cut 3 feet off the tops so the wind would not destroy them. I have more but this is getting long. Wayne

Nice Wayne, where do you live? I would love to hear about all of what you have. Keep listing them off! Prairie stature is a cross between english and white oak. I had high hopes for that one. I've heard its done great in different prairie trials and at nurseries.

And this page is the main reason I think sycamore can grow in Alberta if you find a northern source. My seedlings coming are the most northern you can get, from an ontario source. They grow native in zone 4 vermont as well...

http://www.ndsuresearchfoundation.org/rfm55

Close to the Manitoba border in the Qu' Appelle valley. Most of what I have has been recently planted, 3 years or so. The 2 winters prior to this last one were very long so lots of the plants got a stress test for sure, but like most growers will tell you, plants need to do well over the long run. I planted Prairie Splendor that is grafted onto a species Norway maple, it appears so far that it is going to keep dying back, like Purple leaf sandcherry. Have Swiss Stone pine that are doing good, would really like to try Korean pine but don't want to plant bare root although what I have planted bare root has done well. I have some Hazelburt also from Quebec and germinated filberts from mixed nuts, same time as the Persian walnuts, these probably were grown in Oregon. I am not expecting success with those two but they keep talking about Global Warming so who knows, LOL. I am going to check out a place that sells Bristle cone pine also 3,000 to 5,000 year life span under stressful conditions, I think this area qualifies.

Landowners and even the DNR are trying swamp white oak in northern parts of Minnesota. I have some walnuts that are doing OK at the edge of zone 3 and zone 4.