natural herbs
Amelanchier bartramiana

Herb latin name: Amelanchier bartramiana

Synonyms: Amelanchier oligocarpa, Pyrus bartramiana

Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Edible parts of Amelanchier bartramiana:

Edible fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit contains a few small seeds at the centre, it is sweet but rather dry according to one report whilst others have found it to be sweet and juicy. The fruit can be added to pancakes or dried for later use. Fruits are oval or pear shaped unlike other members of this genus that have round fruits. They are 15mm long. The fruit is rich in iron and copper.

Description of the plant:

Plant:

Deciduous
Shrub

Height:

3 m
(9 ³/₄ foot)

Flowering:

April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Peaty or boggy thickets, sphagnum bogs, bushy and mountain slopes to the sub-alpine zone.

Propagation of Amelanchier bartramiana:

Seed - it is best harvested "green", when the seed is fully formed but before the seed coat has hardened, and then sown immediately in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. If stored seed is obtained early enough in the autumn, it can be given 4 weeks warm stratification before being left out in the winter and it should then germinate in the spring. Otherwise seed can be very slow to germinate, perhaps taking 18 months or more. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting them out once they are 20cm or more tall. If there is sufficient seed it is best to sow it thinly in an outdoor seedbed. Grow the seedlings on for two years in the seedbed before planting them out into their permanent positions during the winter. Layering in spring - takes 18 months. Division of suckers in late winter. The suckers need to have been growing for 2 years before you dig them up, otherwise they will not have formed roots. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.

Cultivation of the herb: