Amelanchier arborea
| Amelanchier arborea | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 33' |
| Width: | 39' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Amelanchier arborea (common name: downy serviceberry)
Propagation: Seed - it is best harvested 'green', when the seed is fully formed but before the seed coat has hardened, and then sown immediately in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. If stored seed is obtained early enough in the autumn, it can be given 4 weeks warm stratification before being left out in the winter and it should then germinate in the spring. Otherwise seed can be very slow to germinate, perhaps taking 18 months or more. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting them out once they are 20cm or more tall.
If there is sufficient seed it is best to sow it thinly in an outdoor seedbed[1][2]. Grow the seedlings on for two years in the seedbed before planting them out into their permanent positions during the winter.
Layering in spring - takes 18 months[1].
Division of suckers in late winter. The suckers need to have been growing for 2 years before you dig them up, otherwise they will not have formed roots. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Prefers a rich loamy soil in a sunny position or semi-shade[3][4] but thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged[5]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
All members of this genus have edible fruits and, whilst this is dry and uninteresting in some species, in many others it is sweet and juicy. Many of the species have potential for use in the garden as edible ornamentals. The main draw-back to this genus is that birds adore the fruit and will often completely strip a tree before it is fully ripe[K].
The plant becomes dwarfed when growing in sterile (poor and acid) ground[6].
Hybridises with A. bartramiana, A. canadensis, A. humilis and A. laevis. Grafting onto seedlings of A. lamarckii or Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing[3].
Range: Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Minnesota and Texas.
Habitat: Rich woods, thickets and slopes[7].
Edibility: Edible fruit - raw or cooked[8][6]. The fruit has a few small seeds at the centre, some forms are dry and tasteless[5][9][6] whilst others are sweet and juicy[10][6]. The fruit ripens unevenly over a period of 2 - 3 weeks and is very attractive to birds, this makes harvesting them in quantity rather difficult[11]. The fruit is borne in small clusters and is up to 10mm in diameter[4]. It is rich in iron and copper[12].
Medicinal: A compound infusion of the plant has been used as an anthelmintic, in the treatment of diarrhoea and as a spring tonic[13].
An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of gonorrhoea[13].
Usage: The trees have an extensive root system and can be planted on banks etc for erosion control[4].
Wood - close-grained, hard, strong, tough and elastic. It is one of the heaviest woods in N. America, weighing 49lb per cubic foot[6][14]. Too small for commercial interest, it is sometimes used for making handles[6][11].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Early Summer-Mid Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: A. canadensis. Wieg. non (L.)Med. Mespilus arborea
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.