Herb: Allegheny Shadberry


Latin name: Amelanchier laevis


Synonyms: Amelanchier canadensis


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Allegheny Shadberry:

An infusion of the bark was used by expectant mothers.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
9 m
(30 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Dry to moist thickets, woodland edges and edges of swamps in cool ravines and on hillsides. Naturalized in Britain on light acidic soils.

Edible parts of Allegheny Shadberry:

Edible fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent and sweet. This is one of the nicest fruits in the genus, it can be eaten and enjoyed in quantity. The fruit can also be dried for winter use. Up to 18mm in diameter. The fruit is rich in iron and copper.

Other uses of the herb:

Wood - heavy, exceedingly hard, strong, close grained. Used for tool handles etc.

Propagation of Allegheny Shadberry:

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:

Dry to moist thickets, woodland edges and edges of swamps in cool ravines and on hillsides. Naturalized in Britain on light acidic soils.

Known hazards of Amelanchier laevis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.