Amelanchier ovalis
Medik.
Snowy mespilus, European juneberry
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit
The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked, though it is not very palatable on its own and is better suited to preserves and similar uses. It is rich in iron and copper.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in rocky places and stony woods, mainly on limestone in Central and Southern Europe. Trees are cold hardy to -20°C. It suits hardiness zones 5-9.
Africa, Albania, Andorra, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Caucasus, Europe*, Greece, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Morocco, North Africa, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Türkiye,
How to Identify
A spreading shrub. It grows to 5-6 m high. The leaves are small. They are woolly at first. The flowers are in woolly buds. The flowers are 35 mm across. They are in compact clusters. The fruit are red and turn blackish. They are very small. They are edible.
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. Fairly lime tolerant. Hardy to about -20°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. A very ornamental plant. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Grafting onto seedlings of A. lamarckii or 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, germination can be very slow, potentially taking 18 months or more. When large enough to handle, prick seedlings 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 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 directly into permanent positions if needed.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
The wood is fine-grained, hard, very heavy, and reddish in colour. It is used for small articles.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Amelanchier ovalis, commonly known as snowy mespilus (a name which is also attached to the related A. lamarckii) or serviceberry, is a deciduous shrub in the family Rosaceae. Its pome fruits are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The species is native to central and southern Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East.
Notes
There are about 25-30 Amelanchier species.
Names & Synonyms
Bullonera, Cornijuelo, Cornillo, Currune, Galluvera, Guillomas, Guillominas, Madronillo, Millomas, Millominas, šmarna hrušica, Sorbo, Swamp pear, Swamp sugar pear, Tazart immissawn
References (20)
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- Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 75
- Cerne, M., 1992, Wild Plants from Slovenia used as Vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 318
- Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 92
- Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 193
- Flowerdew, B., 2000, Complete Fruit Book. Kyle Cathie Ltd., London. p 166 (As Amelanchier vulgaris)
- Gesch. Bot. 79. 1793
- Glowinski, L., 1999, The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia. Lothian. p 51
- Hammer, K. & Spahillari, M., 1999, Crops of European origin. in Report of a networking group on minor crops. IPGRI p 43
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 56
- Kremer, B.P., 1995, Shrubs in the Wild and in Gardens. Barrons. p 93
- Lyle, S., 2006, Discovering fruit and nuts. Land Links. p 58
- Nassif, F., & Tanji, A., 2013, Gathered food plants in Morocco: The long forgotten species in Ethnobotanical Research. Life Science Leaflets 3:17-54
- Pardo-de-Santayana, M., et al, 2007, Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants used in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal): a comparative study. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2007, 3:27
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/.
- Redzic, S. J., 2006, Wild Edible Plants and their Traditional Use in the Human Nutrition in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Ecology of Food and Nutrition, 45:189-232
- Rivera, C., et al, 2005, The Ethnobotanical Study of Local Mediterranean Food Plants as Medicinal Resources in Southern Spain. Journal of Physiologyand Pharmacology. 56, Suppl. 1, 97-114
- Sfikas, G., 1984, Trees and shrubs of Greece. Efstathiadis Group. Athens. p 90
- Tardio, J., et al, 2006, Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants in Spain. Botanical J. Linnean Soc. 152, 27-71
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
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