For decades, the serviceberry was more or less forgotten as a garden plant. Now the different varieties of the rock pear are experiencing a certain “renaissance” and some hobby gardeners are asking themselves whether it is actually a shrub or a tree.
Is the serviceberry a shrub or a tree?
The serviceberry can be cultivated as both a shrub and a tree. When growing as a shrub, it forms several main trunks and appears bushy. For compact shrub growth, regular pruning, choosing small varieties or container cultivation can be used.
The term “shrub” does not come from botany
When gardeners ask themselves the question of classifying plant varieties as shrubs or trees, it usually has to do with finding the right location for planting. But it's also about the appearance, because we generally associate bushes with a bushy growth with a certain privacy protection character. Now you should first know that the term “shrub” is actually not a botanical criterion. Rather, this term describes a growth habit in which several main shoots grow somewhat parallel and from which a bushy, branched overall shape emerges. That's why, depending on the care it receives, the rock pear could be seen as a kind of hybrid between the growth forms of a shrub and a tree.
The rock pear as a shrub
Basically, serviceberries tend to form several main trunks next to each other, similar to the growth habit of a hazelnut. However, the term shrub is also associated with a certain size, which serviceberry and hazelnut can significantly exceed after just a few years under good growing conditions. If you would like to specifically cultivate your serviceberry in the garden as a reasonably compact shrub, then there are the following options:
- cut the rock pear regularly very early on
- consciously plant a small variety
- restrict growth somewhat through culture in the pot
You should also avoid fertilizing as much as possible, as serviceberries are very frugal in this regard anyway.
Train the rock pear specifically from a bush form to a tree
It is a question of personal taste and integration into a specific garden aesthetic as to whether a serviceberry should be trained as a shrub or a tree. Of course, the rock pear is more likely to be perceived as a tree if it has reached a certain height over the years. Pruning should always be done very discreetly and consciously with a focus on a natural-looking crown shape, as cutting errors in the rock pear often only grow back after years. With a little gardening skill, you can also branch a rock pear to achieve a tree-like habit despite its multiple stems.
Tip
" Training" a serviceberry in a compact bush form can prove advantageous if the edible fruits are to be harvested for consumption.
