Herb: Korean Juneberry
Latin name: Amelanchier asiatica
Synonyms: Amelanchier canadensis japonica, Aronia asiatica
Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Edible parts of Korean Juneberry:Edible fruit, raw or cooked. Of good quality, the fruit is sweet and juicy, contains a few small seeds at the centre and has a hint of apple in the flavour. The fruit is rich in iron and copper. The fruit is up to 15mm in diameter.
Description of the plant:
Habitat of the herb:Hilly and mountainous regions. On slopes by streams, mixed forests at elevations of 1000 - 2000 metres.
Propagation of Korean Juneberry:Seed - it is best harvested "green", when the seed is fully formed but before the seed coat has hardened, and then sown immediately in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. If stored seed is obtained early enough in the autumn, it can be given 4 weeks warm stratification before being left out in the winter and it should then germinate in the spring. Otherwise seed can be very slow to germinate, perhaps taking 18 months or more. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting them out once they are 20cm or more tall. If there is sufficient seed it is best to sow it thinly in an outdoor seedbed. Grow the seedlings on for two years in the seedbed before planting them out into their permanent positions during the winter. Layering in spring - takes 18 months. Division of suckers in late winter. The suckers need to have been growing for 2 years before you dig them up, otherwise they will not have formed roots. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation of the herb:Hilly and mountainous regions. On slopes by streams, mixed forests at elevations of 1000 - 2000 metres.
Medicinal use of Korean Juneberry:None known
Known hazards of Amelanchier asiatica:None known
Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.