Amelanchier laevis, 3 Gallon (16-24")
Exposure: Shade-sun
Soil: Dry/well-drained
Mature Height: 20-25 ft
Mature Width: 15-18 ft
Description Showy spring flowers mature into berries loved by birds. Berries are tasty and edible for humans too! Excellent for home landscaping.
Attracts: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract honeybees, Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp.), Syrphid flies, Tachinid flies, Buprestid beetles (Acmaeodera spp.), and other insects. Other insects feed on the foliage, bore through the wood, or suck plant juices of Amelanchier species. These species include the caterpillars of the butterflies Satyrium liparops strigosum (Striped Hairstreak) and Limenitis arthemis astyanax (Red-Spotted Purple). The caterpillars of many moths also feed on these small trees or shrubs, including Lomigrapha semiclarata (Blue Spring Moth), Catocala praeclara (Chokeberry Underwing), several Acronicta spp. (Dagger Moths), and others. Other insect feeders include the wood-boring larvae of several Buprestid beetles and long-horned beetles, Crepidodera violacea (a leaf beetle), Corythucha cydoniae (Hawthorn Lace Bug), larvae of the sawflies Arge clavicorne and Onycholyda luteicornis, the aphid Prociphilus corrugatans, and the psyllid Trioza obtusa. The fruits of Amelanchier spp. are an attractive source of food to the Hairy Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Baltimore Oriole, and many other birds.
