Flying dragon seems to be more prone to weird twists than the generally upright/straight C-35.

This is a Washington navel on FD, and it was the tree that started it all in winter 2009. All the original nursery-based growth died back in 2010 as I was learning what the heck I had gotten into. Fortunately, it put out a new, singular stem which became the trunk of the tree I have today (after a lot of learning!). This is the photo of that singular stem flushing out with the rootstock visible:

I've noticed that the bud has been very strangely deformed, and I can't tell if it was a chip, T-bud, or some other graft type, but the line is definitely visible on the 2023 photo!

And here's a 2023 photo of the Valentine on C-35 your first tree came from:

Looking good Tom. I see the quarter in front of your tree and I realize how much the quarter has shrunk with this inflation.

In my limited experience using Flying Dragon and Citrumelo as rootstock, I've found grafts on Flying Dragon much slower to 'take' and grow. The hybrid rootstocks are vigorous and give the scion a big boost. Problem is, over time, the ones on hybrid rootstock soon outgrow your space.

Haha Steve. If I'd place a penny next to it, you'd need a microscope to see it!

And Dave, you are definitely correct. The FD tree has remained manageable this whole time, while my C-35/other trifoliate hybrids require diligent pruning to keep manageable.

How abount your trees on US897. BriteLeaf.com uses Us897.