Practical
Plants

Amelanchier intermedia

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Amelanchier genus in the family Rosaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
6 m
Spread
4 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Edible fruit - raw or cooked[2]. We have yet to see the fruit on this species, but if it is like the closely related A. lamarckii, then it will be sweet and succulent with a flavour of apples[K]. The fruit can also be dried for later use and is up to 10mm in diameter. The fruit is rich in iron and copper[5].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Vermont to North Carolina.
Habitat
Swamps and moist soils[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[7][8]. 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[7]. 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

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a rich loamy soil in a sunny position or semi-shade[1][4] but thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged[2]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers an acid or neutral soil. Plants are hardy to about -25°c[3]. 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]. Considerable confusion has existed between this species and A. arborea, A. canadensis and A. laevis, see [2] for the latest (1991) classification. Some botanists consider this species to be part of A. canadensis or A. lamarckii[2][4]. A group of plants growing at Kew were about 5 years old in 1995. They were flowering well in early April, were about 2 metres tall and had lots of side branches[K]. Their native range was given as western N. America, which conflicts with other reports[K]. Older plants are being grown at Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire, in early April 1999 they were 4 metres tall, suckering quite freely in a tight clump and flowering very freely[K]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[4]. Grafting onto seedlings of Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩

  6. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

  7. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩

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