Amelanchier lamarckii 10ltr pot

Amelanchier lamarckii (Snowy Mespilus)

Few plants earn their keep across four seasons quite like the Amelanchier lamarckii. In spring, delicate star-shaped white flowers appear in lax clusters just as the bronze-tinged young leaves begin to unfurl, creating a soft, coppery haze before the foliage matures to green. Come early summer, small purple-black berries follow — a treat for garden birds, and edible for us too, though it's usually grown for ornamental value rather than as a fruiting crop. As autumn arrives, the foliage puts on a final flourish, turning brilliant shades of orange and red.

This RHS Award of Garden Merit holder is wonderfully easy-going: it thrives in full sun or partial shade and adapts well to clay, loam, or sandy soils, provided they're moist but well-drained. Left to its own devices it will reach an ultimate height of 8–12 metres with a spread of 4–8 metres over 10–20 years, though it's just as happy trained as a multi-stemmed shrub or kept smaller with light formative pruning — making it a versatile choice whether you're after a specimen tree or a striking large shrub for a smaller garden. It's fully hardy and largely trouble-free, generally pest-free though it can occasionally be susceptible to fireblight or honey fungus.

Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch.