Amelanchier confusa

N. Hylander.

Swedish honeysuckle

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit

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Summary

Source: Wikipedia

Deciduous shrub growing to 3m tall and 3m wide. Hardy to UK zone 5. Flowers in May with seeds ripening June to July. Hermaphrodite and self-fertile, pollinated by bees. Adapts to light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils in mildly acid to neutral pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist soil.

Description

A shrub. It grows 3 m tall. It loses its leaves during the year. Plants sucker freely. The flowers are in nodding clusters. The petals are long and narrow. The fruit is 7-9 mm across. They are blue-black. Possibly now Amelanchier x grandiflora Rehder.

Edible Uses

No specific records exist for this species, but the fruit is almost certainly edible both raw and cooked. The fruits measure 7–9mm in diameter and are rich in iron and copper.

Medicinal Uses

None known.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It suits USDA hardiness zones 4-8.

Where It Grows

Europe, Scandinavia, Sweden*,

Cultivation

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. 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 suckering plant, the suckers are formed very close to the original stem so the plant forms a gradually expanding clump. Plants growing at Hilliers Arboretum in Hampshire were 4 metres tall in early April 1999, they were suckering quite freely in a tight clump and flowering very freely. This species is closely related to A. laevis. 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 hardens — 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 overwintering outside, which should result in spring germination. Otherwise, germination can be very slow, potentially taking 18 months or more. Prick seedlings out into individual pots once large enough to handle and grow on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting out when they reach 20cm or taller. Where seed is plentiful, sow thinly in an outdoor seedbed and grow on for two years before transplanting to permanent positions in winter. Layering in spring takes around 18 months. Suckers can be divided in late winter, but they must have been growing for 2 years to have formed roots. Once rooted, they can be planted directly into permanent positions.