Amelanchier pallida
| Amelanchier pallida | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 13' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Amelanchier pallida (common name: pale 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].
This species is closely related to A. alnifolia and A. florida[5].
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: South-western N. America
Habitat: Dry gravelly and rocky slopes and flats below 3300 metres especially in moist coniferous forests in California[6].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[7][8][9]. The fruit is rich in iron and copper[10].
Medicinal: An infusion of the inner bark is used to treat snow-blindness[8].
A decoction of the boiled roots has been used to check too frequent menstruation[11].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: A. alnifolia. non Nutt. A. gracilis. A. siskiyouensis. A. subintegra.
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 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.
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.