Snowy Mespilus Snowflakes
Dazzling spring blossoms and fiery Autumn foliage make this small tree/large shrub an outstanding choice for year-round garden interest. In Spring, bronze-tinged young leaves emerge alongside a profusion of unusually large, starry white flowers that, although short lived (1-2 weeks depending on the wether) droop gracefully in dramatic racemes. As Summer progresses, these delicate blooms turn into small, sweet, edible dark red berries that mature to deep purple-black, and can be eaten raw or cooked. They also provide delicious feast for local birds. By Autumn, the canopy transforms into a brilliant tapestry of fiery crimson, orange, and golden-yellow before shedding its leaves to reveal an elegant winter silhouette. Highly adaptable, extremely hardy, and well-suited to smaller gardens, Amelanchier laevis 'Snowflakes' brings multi-season beauty to sunny borders, woodland gardens, or standalone lawn plantings.
Site: Semi-sheltered; will tolerate inland exposure, but the flowers and leaves need some shelter to last longer and look their best
Soil: Any fertile well drained soil; lighter, acid soils preferred. Dislikes waterlogging especially over Winter
Position: Full sun or partial shade
Season of Interest: Spring, Summer, Autumn
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Height: 13-20’ (4-6m) in 20 years Spread: 10-13' (3-4m) in 20 years
Image 1 by Ryan Hodnett cropped and licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0
Image 2 by Vanessa Richins, About.com, Bugwood.org, cropped and licensed under CC BY 3.0
Image 3 by David J. Stang, cropped and licensed under CC-BY-SA-4.0
Image 4 by Sherief Saleh, cropped and licensed under CC BY 3.0
