Plant DetailShow Menu

Dwarf Shadbush Amelanchier spicata

Other Common Name(s):

Previously known as:

  • Amelanchier stolonifera
Phonetic Spelling
am-uh-LAN-kee-er spi-KAY-tuh
Description

Dwarf Serviceberry is a small, native, deciduous shrub in the rose family found in disturbed sites, meadows, forest edges and fields. It is native to the coastal and Piedmont regions of NC. This shrub grows 3-5 feet tall and wide and can form dense thickets.  It is drought tolerant once established.

Grow this shrub in average somewhat dry well-drained soils, preferably acidic, with full sun to partial shade. Use as a hedge, in naturalized areas, native gardens and to attract pollinators and birds.

 

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs, and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

More information on Amelanchier.

Profile Video:
See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#small spaces#drought tolerant#native shrub#dwarf#NC native#thickets#red fruits#disturbed areas#pollinator plant#black fruits#larval host plant#NC Native Pollinator Plant#food source herbage#food source nectar#food source pollen#bird friendly#mammals#food source soft mast fruit#butterfly friendly#Piedmont Mountains FACU#Coastal FACU#bee friendly#Audubon#wildlife friendly
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#small spaces#drought tolerant#native shrub#dwarf#NC native#thickets#red fruits#disturbed areas#pollinator plant#black fruits#larval host plant#NC Native Pollinator Plant#food source herbage#food source nectar#food source pollen#bird friendly#mammals#food source soft mast fruit#butterfly friendly#Piedmont Mountains FACU#Coastal FACU#bee friendly#Audubon#wildlife friendly
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Amelanchier
    Species:
    spicata
    Family:
    Rosaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    The fruits were an important food source for Native Americans and settlers
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Woody
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Eastern Canada, central and eastern U.S.A.
    Wildlife Value:
    Fruits attract birds.
    Edibility:
    Fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. Have a sweet flavor.
    Dimensions:
    Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Native Plant
    Perennial
    Shrub
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Dense
    Multi-stemmed
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
    Soil Texture:
    Loam (Silt)
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil pH:
    Acid (<6.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Mountains
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Color:
    Black
    Purple/Lavender
    Red/Burgundy
    Fruit Value To Gardener:
    Edible
    Showy
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Pome
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    3/8 inch fleshy fruits start out red and mature to purple/black. Great food source for birds. Fruits are available late summer.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    White
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Spring
    Flower Shape:
    Cup
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    1-inch white flowers with 5 petals have green sepals between the petals and bloom in dense clusters in March-April
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Orange
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Leaf Margin:
    Serrate
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Description:
    1.5-3 inches long, simple, alternate leaves. Margins toothed on the upper 2/3s. Tip forms an abrupt point and base is rounded or slightly heart-shaped. Color is medium green, undersides paler with many hairs. Fall color variable from green to yellow or orange
  • Bark:
    Bark Color:
    Dark Gray
    Light Gray
    Surface/Attachment:
    Smooth
    Bark Description:
    Mature bark is thin, smooth and ash gray with slightly darker strips
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Brown/Copper
    Gray/Silver
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Bud Scales:
    Enclosed in more than 2 scales
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Stems are reddish-brown. Winter buds have scales that overlap like shingles (i.e. one of the edges is covered and the other edge is exposed)
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Meadow
    Naturalized Area
    Small Space
    Woodland
    Landscape Theme:
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Design Feature:
    Hedge
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Small Mammals
    Songbirds
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought