Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Rosaceae

Genus:

Amelanchier

Species:

Amelanchier laevis

USDA Symbol:

AMLA

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Tree

Height:

760 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade,Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

apr,may

Bloom Colors:

white

Food Forest:

Contains edible parts

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, bees, butterflies, small mammals

Fall Color:

orange, red, yellow

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from root crown after top-kill by fire. Common in fire-maintained oak savannas and woodland edges.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers organic matter-rich environments

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days

Germination Time:

14–60 days

Notes:

Seeds exhibit embryo dormancy requiring cold stratification. Germination improved with light exposure after stratification period.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI