Juneberry, Shad bush, Allegheny shadberry, Smooth juneberry, Snowy mespil
Amelanchier arborea subsp. laevis

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows to 8-9 m high and spreads to 4-6 m across. It often has several stems. The stems are slender and erect. The bark is dark grey and smooth. The leaves are oval and 6 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. The leaves are alternate and have a short point at the tip. There are teeth around the edge. The leaves are purplish or pink when young. They turn red in autumn. The flowers are white. They occur in large numbers. They are in upright racemes 7.5 cm long. The fruit is red but turns a blackish-purple and is a sweet berry. They are 18 mm across.

There are about 25-30 Amelanchier species.

Where it is found

A temperate plant. It requires well drained soils in a shaded position. It is resistant to frost but damaged by drought. The plant occurs naturally in North America and is naturalised in Britain on light acidic soils. It suits hardiness zones 4-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, North America (country/location of origin), USA

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten raw or cooked. The fruit need to be very ripe. The are made into jams, sauces and pies. They can be gathered and dried.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from ripe seed. It can be grown from seed, layering or suckers. Seed can take 18 months to germinate and layers can take 18 months to form roots.

Trees come into bearing in about 12 years from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Amelanchier arborea var. laevis (Wiegland) H. E. Ahles; Amelanchier laevis Wiegand;