With the native Juneberry on hand there’s no need to journey to a foreign land in search of the latest super antioxidant fruit. The Juneberry grows close to home, is willing to occupy a cozy spot in the backyard landscape, and it may turn out to be just as healthful as some of those exotic fruits that you read about in the news.
Juneberries are definitely on the mind of our small garden expert Barb, as she returns to share an interesting report that serves to prove that having a limited growing area doesn’t mean that you can’t include a few fruits in your landscape:
Sweet Success as the Juneberry Begins to Impress
“Hey, Kenny! I fussed about Juneberries when you put yours in, complaining of its’ propensity to get cedar rust in the fruit. Apparently cedar rust is a weather-related evil, as this year it’s minimal. This year, instead of most of the berries having galls, very few are affected.”
“So the long, cool weather we’ve had must not be what the gall spores need to grow. Hooray! I have just picked three quarts from one small tree and am reminded of the reason I planted it in the first place. It’s truly one of the great undiscovered berries.”
“The Juneberry is a small multiple trunked tree. Different cultivars will grow to varying heights, but most that you see are about the size of a dogwood. They have been used in the last few years by commercial landscapers. The berries are similar in size to blueberries, but are dark reddish black, with a blossom end like a blueberry.”
Reasons to Try Your Own Hand with Juneberries
“The berries grow in clusters that you can pick by the handful. The flavor is mild, and the seeds are soft and have no unpleasant flavor when crushed between the teeth. If you have limited space and want a nice berry, rather than put in six blueberries, plant just one June berry.”
“I got mine from Edible Landscaping several years ago. It’s Amelanchier Arboreum grandiflora and has four things going for it… it’s native, it blooms early in spring when we’re watching for signs of change, it’s a prolific bearer, and has nice fall color. What more can you ask of a shrub?”
“Just don’t plant it next to your favorite Mountain Laurel; give it some space. If you don’t have cedars nearby, you’ll have no problems with it. If you have red cedars nearby, but don’t mind occasionally losing the crop to rust every few years, I’d recommend putting one in. Peace in the Garden — Barb.”
Veggie Gardening Tips Juneberry Update
Thanks for the info Barb, my Juneberries are doing well in spite of setbacks caused by what I believe was rabbit damage to the year old seedling. Now the young plants are surrounded by a barrier of wire screening until they are better established.
I’m impressed with the amount of fruit on my Prince William Juneberry despite the fact that it’s less than two feet tall, but very bushy. The Regent June berry is the one that was grazed down and I feared wouldn’t survive but now it has bounced back rather nicely.
So yes, I’m excited about the possibilities and potential that Juneberries may have for the ornamental edible gardener and landscaper, and I’m looking forward to seeing how well the plants perform down the road.
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