Most wild forms of the serviceberry originally come from North America; serviceberry is commercially grown primarily in Canada. Different varieties of rock pears with distinct growth habits and edible fruits are suitable for your own garden.
Which serviceberry varieties are popular?
Popular rock pear varieties are the European rock pear (Amelanchier ovalis), the copper rock pear (Amelanchier lamarckii) and the alder-leaved rock pear (Amelanchier alnifolia). These differ in growth form, tolerance to cutting, yield and height.
The European rock pear
The European serviceberry (Amelanchier ovalis) occurs in various European countries up to altitudes of around 2,000 meters. It is often planted to fortify slopes, but in terms of appearance it usually cannot keep up with its North American relatives. This native rock pear species also produces attractive white flowers and produces a fruit yield that can be consumed in a variety of ways. The European rock pear rarely grows significantly higher than about three meters, even without pruning.
The Copper Rock Pear
The name of the so-called copper rock pear (Amelanchier lamarckii) refers to the particularly attractive red color of the foliage in autumn. The new growth of the copper rock pear also shows an impressive play of colors. This rock pear is often planted alone and is noticeable because of its often multi-stemmed growth. This variety of rock pear is also relatively pruning tolerant and can easily be trained into an attractive canopy shape by pruning.
The alder-leaved rock pear
The alder-leaved rock pear (Amelanchier alnifolia) is sometimes also called alder rock pear and is originally from North America. This rock pear grows to a height of around two to four meters and tends to multiply by forming short runners. Since the alder-leaved rock pear is very versatile in terms of location, natural occurrences of this species can be found from Alaska to Utah, in forests and on water banks with a wide variety of types of soil. Since this variety also produces particularly magnificent fruits compared to some other types of serviceberry, it is planted commercially in Canada for harvesting and further processing of the fruits.
Wild, cultivated and noble varieties of the rock pear
Many species of rock pears that are widespread around the world today actually go back to wild forms that occur in nature. But there are also varieties that were created in professional horticulture through selection and other breeding methods. Sometimes serviceberries are also grafted onto rootstocks of rowanberries in order to combine special growth forms and plant characteristics. Before you plant a serviceberry in your garden, you should ask yourself which of the following parameters is particularly important to you:
- Growth habit
- Cutting tolerance
- Yield
- Growth height
Tip
If you want to spend relatively little time caring for your serviceberry, then the choice between different species should first be made based on the natural height of growth. Criteria for selecting the right variety can also include the color of the foliage or the usability of the fruits or the number of flowers.