Try growing an undemanding plant – shadwood

Are you looking for a plant that will give you plenty of great fruit and can grow in any soil? If so, then bet on shadwood (Amelanchier). This plant will give you a rich harvest of great sweet fruits in the summer, and its beautifully coloured leaves will turn your garden into an eye-catching sight – that is later in autumn. Not sure what plant we are talking about? Well, you have come to the right place then. In the following lines, we shall take a look at this interesting plant, its cultivation and give you tips how to process its fruits.

Different types of shadwood cultivars

There are many species of shadwood, but many of them are still not cultivated and bred, even if they come from Europe. If you want one, go for American varieties, usually called Indian blueberries, because they are great. This one has been bred from Amelanchier alnifolia. In garden stores you may see cultivars such as Thiessen, Nortline or Martin, and others. Canadian shadwood (Amelanchier canadensis) and Juneberry (Amelanchier Lamarckii) are also excellent.

Photo: Pixabay

Fundamentals of shadwood growing

Basically all varieties of shadwood are undemanding plants and may be grown easily. This plant can even withstand temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius! So, you can easily grow shadwood in high altitudes. If you want to test shadwood, plant only one and see. Shadwood is self-pollinating, so it will give you fruits no matter what… But to achieve a higher yield, plant larger number of plants because they will do better in a group. There is no need to protect shadwood against pests. It will protect itself. Isn’t that great! The bush forms a rather open crown, so pruning is not difficult. We recommend planting in a place with enough sun to have perfectly ripe fruits. Although it is a strong plant, you need to water it if a dry weather lasts for a long time. On the other hand, shadwood can tolerate long-term drought better than other fruit trees. Shadwood will bear fruit in the second and third year.

Fruit processing

You may harvest those dark purple berries 10 mm in diameter from June to early September. If you want extra sweet berries let them overripe. You can get up to 15 kg of fruit from one bush. If you want to enjoy fruits gradually, plant Amelanchier canadensis.

Berries are often used to produce jams or syrups, but leaves are used too. An extract from leaves is used to treat stomach problems for example.

Preview photo: Pixabay