Back in the early 1990s, I grew Xanthcerus sorbifolium for eleven years. This was back before climate change kicked in, and winters in zone 4a were cold. It began blooming at about five feet high, but never produced any nuts. It is easily as floriferous as any crab apple. I never had a problem with cold temperature survival, but the tree is susceptible to verticillium wilt which is native and common here. It succumbed to that, but I still get root sprouts now and then.
I understand the naming confusion, as one would normally expect the gender of "Xanthoceras" to follow the gender of "ceras" (the root noun), which is feminine, and hence: sorbifolia. But the gender of Xanthoceras is neuter, apparently, and so sorbifolium is correct. English is not the only language plagued with irregularities.
