Herb: Roundleaf Serviceberry


Latin name: Amelanchier sanguinea


Synonyms: Pyrus sanguinea


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Roundleaf Serviceberry:

Edible fruit - raw or cooked. A sweet flavour. The fruit is produced in small clusters and is up to 11mm in diameter. The fruit is rich in iron and copper.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Open woods, rocky slopes and river banks on neutral to slightly calcareous soils.

Propagation of Roundleaf Serviceberry:

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:

Open woods, rocky slopes and river banks on neutral to slightly calcareous soils.

Medicinal use of Roundleaf Serviceberry:

None known

Known hazards of Amelanchier sanguinea:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.