Amelanchier intermedia
Spach.
June berry
(c) hobiecat, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by hobiecat
(c) hobiecat, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by hobiecat
(c) hobiecat, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by hobiecat
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit is edible raw or cooked and can also be dried for later use. It grows up to 10mm in diameter and is rich in iron and copper. This species is closely related to A. lamarckii, and if similar, the fruit is likely to be sweet and succulent with an apple-like flavour.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in swamps and moist soils in Eastern North America from Vermont to North Carolina. Plants are hardy to cold to about -25°C. They do best in acid or neutral soils.
Britain, Europe, North America, USA,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It grows 6 m high and 4 m wide. The fruit are dark purple with a bluish bloom. They are 1 cm across.
How to Grow
Prefers a rich loamy soil in a sunny position or semi-shade but thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers an acid or neutral soil. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. 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. Considerable confusion has existed between this species and A. arborea, A. canadensis and A. laevis, see for the latest (1991) classification. Some botanists consider this species to be part of A. canadensis or A. lamarckii. 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. Their native range was given as western N. America, which conflicts with other reports. 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. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Grafting onto seedlings of Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing.
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 enough in autumn can be given 4 weeks of warm stratification before being left out over winter, and should germinate in spring. Otherwise seed can be very slow to germinate, taking 18 months or more. When seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots and grow on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting out once they reach 20cm or more. Where seed is plentiful, sow thinly in an outdoor seedbed and grow on for two years before planting out 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 to have formed roots. They can be planted straight into permanent positions if needed.
Medicinal Uses
None known
Other Uses
None known
Wikipedia
Source ↗Amelanchier intermedia, also known as intermediate serviceberry, shadbush or juneberry, is a wetland shrub, thought to be a hybrid of A. canadensis and A. laevis. It is distinguished from A. canadensis by its sparser pubescence, and from A. laevis by the weaker red colouration.
Notes
There are about 25-30 Amelanchier species.
References (3)
- Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 23
- Mabey, R., 1973, Food for Free. A Guide to the edible wild plants of Britain, Collins. p 179
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/.
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