Amelanchier asiatica

(Siebold. & Zucc.) Endl. ex Walp.

Korean juneberry, Service Berry, Shad Bush

RosaceaeFruit
Amelanchier asiatica
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Lee, seong-won, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Lee, seong-won
Amelanchier asiatica
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Lee, seong-won, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The fruit is edible raw or cooked, up to 15mm in diameter, sweet and juicy with a few small seeds at the centre and a hint of apple in the flavour. It is of good quality and rich in iron and copper.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. Plants grow naturally in hilly and mountainous regions in China, Japan, and Korea. It is drought and frost resistant. Hobart Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.

Asia, Australia, China, Japan*, Korea, Tasmania,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A deciduous bush or small tree. It grows to 5-8 m high and spreads 3-10 m wide. The stem is erect and branching. The bark is grey-brown and becomes cracked with age. The leaves are oval and rounded at the base and pointed at the tip. They are 7.5 cm long by 4 cm wide. They turn red in autumn. The flowers are white and they have a smell. They are in upright spreading racemes which are 6 cm long. The fruit are black sweet berries. They are 1 cm across.

How to Grow

Plants are grown from seed. The seed should be frozen before planting. 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.

Propagation: Seed is best harvested green — when fully formed but before the seed coat has hardened — and sown immediately in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. Stored seed obtained early in autumn can be given 4 weeks of warm stratification before being left outside over winter to germinate in spring; otherwise seed can be very slow, taking 18 months or more. Prick seedlings out into individual pots when large enough to handle and grow on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting out once they reach 20cm or more. Where sufficient seed is available, sow thinly in an outdoor seedbed and grow on for two years before planting into permanent positions during winter. Layering in spring takes 18 months. Suckers can be divided in late winter, but must have been growing for 2 years before lifting to ensure they have formed roots; they can be planted directly into permanent positions if needed.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Other Uses

None known.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Amelanchier asiatica, commonly known as Korean juneberry or Asian serviceberry, is a species in the genus Amelanchier, native to China, Japan, and Korea. It is a shrub or small tree, growing to about 12 metres (39 ft) tall.

Notes

There are about 25-30 Amelanchier species.

Names & Synonyms
Amelanchier canadensis japonica (Miq.)Aronia asiatica (Siebold. & Zucc.)
References (13)
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