Amelanchier: This low-maintenance genus provides intense spring and autumn interest, writes Jim Handley

摘要

The horticultural value of Amelanchier is easily discovered in spring, with the appearance of its abundant racemes of five-petalled, star-shaped, white or pink-blushed flowers. These are followed by edible, spherical berries that are purple-maroon toblack and similar to those of Sorbus, which ripen in June and are edible when cooked. Belonging to the Rosaceae family, Amelanchier comprises single or multi-stemmed, deciduous trees and shrubs. It is a taxonomically diverse genus with no definite account of how many species it contains. Complexity arises because of the easy hybridisation of the genus and its ability to reproduce apomictically - that is, its seeds do not need to be fertilised.