Quebec Berry, Running serviceberry
Amelanchier stolonifera

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

Amelanchier stolonifera is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen in July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Dry acid rocky or sandy open habitats.

Eastern N. America

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Canada, North America, USA,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 5

Edible fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy with a good flavour that has a hint of apple. The plant usually yields very well in Britain and the well-flavoured fruit means that it has excellent potential as a commercial crop The fruit is rich in iron and copper.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The root bark has been used as a tonic.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Other

Rating: 0

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Dislikes calcareous soils. Prefers a rich loamy soil in a sunny position or semi-shade but thrives in any soil that is not too water-logged. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates dry 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. Produces suckers quite freely, the plant forms thickets. When propagated by these suckers, the new plants can begin producing a crop of fruit in their second year. The sub-species A. stolonifera micropetala was seen growing in dappled shade at Hilliers Arboretum in early April 1999. It was about 2 metres tall, suckering freely with some suckers more than 50cm from the parent plant, and flowering freely. Hybridizes with A. arborea, A. bartramiana, A. laevis and A. sanguinea. Grafting onto seedlings of A. lamarckii or Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a running thicket former forming a colony from shoots away from the crown spreading indefinitely. The root pattern is stoloniferous rooting from creeping stems above the ground.

Propagating it: 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. 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. 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.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

A. spicata. non (Lam.)K.Koch.