Amelanchier asiatica
| Amelanchier asiatica | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 26' |
| Width: | 33' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Amelanchier asiatica (common name: korean juneberry)
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, including chalk, so long as it is not too dry or water-logged[5][4]. Plants succeed in quite shady positions but do not flower or fruit well there[K]. 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].
A very ornamental plant[3], it is closely allied to A. canadensis and A. laevis, and is also very similar to A. arborea[5].
The sub-species A. asiatica sinica C. Schneid. is found in China. It has smaller fruits than the type species[4].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[4]. Grafting onto seedlings of A. lamarckii or Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing[3].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Hilly and mountainous regions[6]. On slopes by streams, mixed forests at elevations of 1000 - 2000 metres[7].
Edibility: Edible fruit, raw or cooked[8][9][10]. Of good quality[11], the fruit is sweet and juicy, contains a few small seeds at the centre and has a hint of apple in the flavour[K]. The fruit is rich in iron and copper[12]. The fruit is up to 15mm in diameter[7].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Removal: Easily pulls out.
Also Known As: A. canadensis japonica. Aronia asiatica.
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 3.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 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.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.