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Amelanchier (arborea)

John M. Englert
USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center
Bldg. 509, BARC - East, E. Beaver Dam Road
Beltsville, Maryland 20705
(301) 504-8175
(301) 504-8741 (fax)
john.englert@wdc.usda.gov
http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/mdpmc/
Family Scientific Name: Rosaceae
Family Common Name: Rose Family
Scientific Name: Amelanchier arborea
Common Name: downy serviceberry
Species Code: AMEARB
Ecotype: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
General Distribution: Dry rocky upland woods, Maine and New Brunswick and s. Quebec to sw. Ontario and Minnesota, s. to Georgia, nw. Florida, Louisiana and e. Oklahoma. (Gleason and Cronquist, 1991)
Propagation Goal: plants
Propagation Method: seed
ProductType: Bareroot (field grown)
Stock Type: Bare root seedlings
Time To Grow: 2 Years
Target Specifications: Height: 10-12"<br> Root system: well developed root system that is pruned as needed at harvest
Propagule Collection: Source: The Pinnacle, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.
Seed is collected soon after ripening (between May 22 and June 27 in Cumberland Gap.) Collectors must compete with wildlife which will devour fruits as soon as they ripen.
Propagule Processing: Seed is extracted by macerating the fruit in water and washing it over a screen to remove the pulp. (Brinkman, 1974) Seed is then dried and stored in sealed containers in a cooler at 40F, 35% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments: Seed embryo dormancy is overcome by cold, moist stratification. Seed is sown in outdoor beds in the fall after cleaning to allow for natural stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/
Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:		 Outdoor woody nursery beds: Seeds are dusted with fungicide and hand-sown closely into rows 5-6" apart. Endomycorrhizae are sprinkled over the seed and the row is covered with about 3/4" soil. Beds are mulched with aged sawdust which is scraped back in the spring before seedling emergence.
Establishment Phase: Newly emerged seedlings are monitored closely for irrigation needs. Young seedlings are shaded immediately after emergence with 30% poly screening. They are kept under shade cloth until mid-August
Active Growth Phase: Because NPMC soil is a nutrient poor, sandy loam, seedlings are fertilized once weeky from mid-April through early June with a granular 10-10-10. From mid-June through late July, the 10-10-10 is alternated with a granular urea. Fertilization from late July through late August is bi-weekly with 10-10-10. Overhead irrigation is used after every fertilization. Application rate is determined by soil moisture prior to irrigation.
Hardening Phase: From mid to late summer, fertilization is cut back to twice monthly. Beginning in September, irrigation is used only in severe drought.
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: Dormant, bareroot plants are harvested in early to mid-December. A bare root seedling harvester is used to loosen plants in the woody bed. Seedlings are then hand-sorted by size and tied in manageable bundles. Roots are pruned as needed and kept moist untilpacking. Bundles are packed in plastic bins with drainage holes and roots are covered with moist sawdust. Bins are held in cold storage at 40F and watered as needed.
Length of Storage: 3-5 months
References: Gleason, Henry A. and Arthur Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY.
Brinkman, K.A. 1974. Amelanchier In: Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States. Forest Service, USDA. Agricultural Handbook 450. Washington, DC. 212-215.
USDA-NRCS National Plant Materials Center. Woody nursery plant records. Unpublished data.

Citation:

Englert, J.; King, Brandy. 2002. Propagation protocol for production of Bareroot (field grown) Amelanchier arborea plants Bare root seedlings; USDA NRCS - Norman A. Berg National Plant Materials Center Beltsville, Maryland. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/27). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.