Snowy mespilus

Snowy mespilus: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, multi-stemmed shrub 1.5–2.5 m tall and about 2 m wide; fairly slow-growing.

Leaf

Oval, 2–5 cm, finely toothed. White and felted underneath when young, later smooth and matt green; yellow, orange to red in autumn.

Flower

White, star-shaped flowers with five narrow petals, in short, upright clusters, in April–May, as the leaves unfold.

Fruit

Round berry of about 1 cm, red at first, blue-black with a bluish bloom when ripe; sweet and edible, ripe in July.

Roots

Finely branched and fairly deep; once established it copes well with drought.

Flowering: April–May · Harvest and fruit: June–July · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: February

Why grow it?

• Three seasons of interest: white flowers in April–May, berries in summer and autumn colour in October.
• An early source of nectar: bees and bumblebees visit the flowers.
• The berries are edible and sweet; blackbirds and thrushes love them.
• Drought-tolerant and content in poor, dry, chalky soil, where many other shrubs struggle.
• Compact enough for a small garden, a gravel garden or an informal hedge.
• Little work: no pruning needed.

Snowy mespilus: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; in full sun it flowers best and gives the most berries and the finest autumn colour.
• Dry to average, well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky. Poor, stony soil is no problem.
• No wet soil: where water lies, the roots rot.
• Allow 1.5–2 m per plant; in an informal hedge plant 1 m apart.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

2.5 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Species tulips: They flower in April at the same time as the shrub and, like it, enjoy a sunny, dry spot.
• Wild marjoram: Fragrant underplanting for bees and butterflies on dry, chalky soil.
• Lavender: Silver-grey leaves and purple flowers in summer, when the shrub itself is not in flower.
• Cranesbill: A tough ground cover that also flowers in the light shade beneath the shrub.
• Dog rose: Together in an informal hedge full of flowers and fruit for birds.

Snowy mespilus: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is not frozen or too wet.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom of the hole.
3. On heavy clay, mix some coarse sand or grit into the soil for better drainage. Lots of compost is not needed.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away and weekly in dry spells during the first year.
6. Spread a layer of gravel or wood chips around the base to keep weeds down.

Care

Watering

Regularly in dry weather during the first year. After that extra water is rarely needed, except in a pot.

Feeding

Not needed in open ground. On very poor soil, a handful of compost in March.

Mulching

A layer of gravel or wood chips keeps weeds down and the soil cooler in summer.

Berries

Pick them in July when they are blue-black and soft. Put a net over the shrub if you want to beat the birds.

In a pot

Possible in a large pot of at least 40 litres with free-draining compost; water regularly in summer.

Tip: Give it a spot where you can see the white April flowers and the autumn colour well, for instance as a specimen in a gravel garden or a dry border. On dry, chalky soil it does better than the larger serviceberries.

Snowy mespilus: when to prune it?

Pruning months: February.

When: No pruning is needed. If something has to go, do it in February, while the shrub is dormant.

How:

• Cut out dead, diseased and damaged branches back to healthy wood.
• Remove branches that cross or grow inwards, to keep the shrub open.
• Rejuvenate an older, bare shrub by removing one or two of the oldest stems at ground level every few years.
• Never shorten all the branches: the natural shape is lost and so are flowers and berries.

Caution: It flowers on last year’s wood: every branch you shorten in winter costs you flowers and berries.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Take the seeds from fresh, ripe berries and sow them outdoors in autumn in a pot or seed tray. They need a cold spell and often only germinate in the second spring.

Layering

In spring, bend a low branch to the ground, lightly wound the bark, peg it down and cover with soil. Sever and transplant after a year.

Softwood cuttings

In May–June, take 8–10 cm cuttings from young shoots and put them in moist cutting compost under plastic. Success is not guaranteed; layering is more reliable.

Snowy mespilus: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• A late frost during flowering can damage the flowers, but the shrub itself does not suffer.
• In a pot: stand it in a sheltered spot against a wall and keep the compost on the dry side in winter.

Diseases and pests

• Fireblight: Flowers and young shoots suddenly wilt and turn blackish brown, as if scorched; the tips bend over like a shepherd’s crook. Cut out affected branches well into healthy wood, up to 30 cm, disinfect your secateurs after every cut and put the prunings in the household waste.
• Birds: Blackbirds and thrushes take the berries as soon as they ripen. A net over the shrub helps, or simply share them.
• Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Ladybirds and parasitic wasps usually deal with them; otherwise spray them off with water.
• Root rot: On wet, poorly drained soil it declines and branches die back. Choose a drier spot or improve drainage when planting.

Through the year

• February: If needed, cut out dead or crossing branches.
• March: Plant. On poor soil, give a handful of compost.
• April: Flowering begins, together with the young, felted leaves.
• May: Flowering; bees and bumblebees on the flowers. Watch for aphids.
• June: The berries turn red. Water young plants in dry spells.
• July: Pick the berries when blue-black. Net against birds.
• August: Water young plants in prolonged drought.
• October: Autumn colour. Plant. Sow seed outdoors.
• November: Plant. Transplant last year’s layers.

Edible and useful

Berries (June–July)

The berries ripen in June–July, turning from red to dark purple-black. Pick them quickly, as blackbirds and starlings love them too; a net helps. They taste sweet, a little of cherry and almond, and are lovely fresh, in muffins or pancakes, as jam or dried like currants.

Storing

A few days in the fridge; they can be frozen spread out on a tray. Dried, they keep for months in a closed jar.

Caution: Like many plants in the rose family, the small seeds contain small amounts of substances that can release cyanide. Normal portions of fresh or cooked fruit are no problem, but do not grind the seeds. Only eat berries from a tree you have identified with certainty.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Juneberry jam (Jam · ± 3 jars · 30 min)
• Dried juneberries (Dried · ± 150 g · 15 min + 8–12 hours drying)
• Juneberry muffins (Dish · 12 muffins · 15 min + 25 min baking)
• Juneberry syrup (Syrup · ± 500 ml · 30 min + overnight draining)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• It is the only serviceberry native to Europe; most of the other species come from North America.
• The name Amelanchier comes from ‘amelanche’, the old Provençal name for its fruit.
• Its Dutch name, krentenboompje, means ‘little currant tree’, after the small, dark berries that look like currants.