About Amelanchier laevis Wiegand
Amelanchier laevis Wiegand grows stems 1 to 15 meters (3 ft 3 in – 49 ft 3 in), or sometimes 2 to 17 meters (6 ft 7 in – 55 ft 9 in), that form small clumps. Its petioles measure 12 to 25 millimeters (0.47–0.98 in), and it bears elliptic, nearly ovate green leaf blades. Its leaves have 12 to 17 lateral veins and 6 to 8 teeth per centimeter. In spring, white blossoms develop from pink buds, and these blossoms can be spectacular on mature plants. The fruit is a pome that ripens in autumn; this fruit is edible with a sweet flavor, and can be eaten raw or cooked. Bark from this plant can be prepared as a herbal medicine for expectant mothers. It is a deciduous tree that is winter hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. It is cultivated as an ornamental shrub. The cultivar 'R.J. Hilton', which produces richer colored spring and autumn leaves than the standard species, has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
