Rock pear: Everything about planting and caring for the tree

The rock pear is not only extremely decorative, but also bears delicious fruit. Here we show what you need to know about planting, caring for and harvesting.

Rock pears (Amelanchier) delight the gardener's heart all year round: in spring their lush white flowers shine in the garden, in summer the healthy fruits can be eaten and in autumn the leaves shine in every imaginable red and orange Tones. If you don't have a rock pear in your garden yet, this article provides you with all the information you need if you want to get yourself a rock pear soon. Here we tell you everything about the origin, the varieties, the planting, care and harvesting of the popular shrub.

Rock pears belonged to the rose family (Rosaceae). The genus botanical name Amelanchier comes from the French-Breton name "amélanche" for that which is native to Brittany Amelanchier ovalis. The word "amélanche", on the other hand, is of Celtic origin and means something like "apple". But the rock pear is not one Apple (Malus) and none pear (Pyrus communis). Rather, the ripe fruits of the shrub are reminiscent of blueberries (Vaccinium) and also taste similar, with a hint of marzipan. Rock pears used to be an important fruit plant. This can also be recognized by the fact that the shrub is still called the "currant tree" or "raisin tree" in northern Germany. The fruits were collected, dried and then used like raisins.

Rock pear: origin and characteristics

Most species of the rock pear come from North America. At least one species is native to every US state (except Hawaii) and every Canadian province and territory. Only three species are an exception: two are native to Europe, only one in Asia.

Rock pears are deciduous shrubs. The shoots are thin and olive green. All species initially grow upright, but in the course of their life they widen more and more and form protruding crowns. The leaves are three to seven inches long, alternate and elliptical. The leaf blades are often covered with delicate hairs. In some species the leaves already show a reddish color when they emerge and then later change to a greenish color. In autumn the leaves turn bright orange to dark red.

In spring, all species form a multitude of white, star-shaped flowers that grow together in racemose inflorescences.
In summer the fruits ripen as berry-like pomaceous fruits. They are red to purple, almost black, and can be 5 to 15 millimeters in diameter. Depending on the type and variety, the fruits taste bland and bitter or pleasantly sweet.

Rock pear fruit: edible or poisonous?

Most people have certainly eaten apples or raspberries many times. Less often, however, you can enjoy wild fruit such as sloes or elderberries. And very few will have tasted the fruits of the rock pear, because the myth is still widespread that the rock pear is poisonous and should not be eaten.
It is true that the leaves and pips of the fruit contain cyanogenic glycosides, which are very toxic. If the leaves or pips are damaged, hydrogen cyanide is released. However, the amount of poison in the kernels is very small, and the kernels are not digested whole, so that the poison cannot get into the body. However, it is very important to only consume small quantities of rock pears! Children and pregnant women in particular should not eat too large quantities of the fruit; otherwise it is safe to consume. In the worst case, too much of the poison can lead to diarrhea and vomiting.
In addition to cyanogenic glycosides, rock pears contain many substances that are extremely healthy. Flavonoids, for example, have an antioxidant effect, potassium ensures beautiful skin, and vitamin C strengthens the immune system. Rock pear fruits also contain tannins, magnesium, iron and phosphorus.

Would you like to learn more about the Toxicity of the rock pear then read more about it here.

Rock pear types and varieties

The genus of the rock pear comprises 33 species worldwide. There are also countless varieties of every kind. We present the most interesting species for growing in the garden below. We also give tips on the varieties for the respective species.

Common rock pear (Amelanchier ovalis)

This species is one of the two species that are native to Europe and can be found at altitudes of up to 2000 meters. It does not grow taller than three meters and does not grow as profusely as its relatives from North America. That's why you rarely come across them here. Nevertheless, this species also blooms beautifully in spring and is a drought-resistant, attractive flowering shrub. In May it forms numerous, white flowers, which are arranged in groups of three to six in compact, upright flower clusters. the Fruits are edible. The best-known variety of this type is ‘Helvetica’: This variety forms narrow, compact, one to three meter high shrubs that are also suitable for growing in pots.

Copper rock pear (Amelanchier lamarckii)

The botanical name of the copper rock pear goes back to the French botanist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck, who described this species for the first time in 1783. It originally comes from eastern North America. How and when this rock pear species came to Europe is not known. Since she liked the climate here so well, she spread very quickly and became wild. In the 19th Century Amelanchier lamarckii Cultivated as a fruit tree in Germany and valued since then - and it is still one of the most popular rock pear species here today. It can grow up to ten meters high and loves a sunny to partially shaded location. The leaves are tinted bronze, in autumn they turn noticeably orange to carmine-red. From April to May this species bears white flowers, which are frequently flown by insects. In July and August it then shows purple to blue-black, tasty fruits that not only taste good to us, but also serve as food for many birds such as tits and thrushes.

Alder-leaved rock pear (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Originating from North America, this species is used both as an ornamental and as a fruit shrub. In Canada there are even orchards with this rock pear species and Canadian Indians have been collecting their fruits for 3000 years. Growing as a wild shrub Amelanchier alnifolia preferably on river banks, in forests or in the steppe. This species includes the greatest variety of varieties among the rock pear:

• ‘Fastagiata’: This variety, which can grow up to four meters high, grows columnar and multi-stemmed.
• ‘Forstburg’: This very high yielding variety bears large and thick fruits that are sweet and tasty.
• ‘Greatberry Garden‘: This variety is valued primarily for its tasty fruits.
• ‘Northline‘: This variety grows up to four meters high and flowers particularly early.
• ‘obelisk‘: This variety impresses with its slim, upright habit and can grow up to three meters high. It can also be planted as a column.
• ‘Saskatoon Berry‘: This variety is particularly suitable as a solitary tree, because it impresses with its upright growth and a growth height of up to four meters.
• ‘Smokey’: The bushes of this variety grow up to 4.4 meters tall and bear delicious fruits.

Bald rock pear (Amelanchier laevis)

The bald rock pear forms particularly large shrubs that can reach heights of 8 to 13 meters. But it is not bald, as the name might suggest. The leaves also turn beautifully colorful in autumn. Some recommended strains of this type are:

• ‘ballerina‘: One of the most popular varieties of rock pear. It grows as a tall, upright shrub and produces innumerable, tasty fruits.
• "Edelweiss": The shrubs of this variety can grow up to five meters high. They also convince with a magnificent display of flowers in spring.
• ‘Snowflakes’: This variety makes large shrubs. It bears large, juicy fruits that can be up to two centimeters thick.

Tree rock pear (Amelanchier arborea)

As the name suggests, rock pears of this type grow particularly tall into large shrubs or small trees. Some specimens of this species can even reach heights of up to 20 meters. The most famous variety Amelanchier arborea is 'Robin Hill‘: This variety can grow up to six meters high and is particularly suitable for tall trunks.

Canadian rock pear

The Canadian rock pear (Amelanchier canadensis) is native to eastern North America. It is characterized by its great height of growth of up to eight meters and is largely restricted to wet locations. the Fruits are also edible. Some interesting varieties of Amelanchier canadensis are the following:

• ‘October Flame’: This variety owes its name to the fiery red leaves in autumn.
• ‘Prince William’: The numerous, beautiful flowers and particularly large fruits characterize this variety.
• ‘Rainbow Pillar’: This variety grows columnar and also provides edible, sweet fruits.

Buy rock pear

At the Buying rock pears Above all, the choice of the variety is decisive, because the variety determines the size, the growth habit and also the fruit yield of your future rock pear. Other important criteria when buying are:

• Vital, healthy impression
• Plant disease or pest free
• Plant size and age
• Upright growth

You can buy rock pears in tree nurseries, garden centers and hardware stores in your area or, if you can't find what you are looking for, order them on the Internet.

More about the Buy the rock pear you can find out in our special article here.

Plant rock pear

In which location the rock pear feels particularly comfortable, what to pay attention to when planting, how you proceed and how you can also plant your rock pear as a high stem, you will find out below Section.

The right location for the rock pear

The rock pear is undemanding in terms of its location in the garden and can thrive almost anywhere. If it is in a sunny to partially shaded place, it will thank you. The soil should be moderately dry to moist. Too light, sandy soils can be used when planting with a high-quality potting soil like ours Plantura organic universal soil be improved. The rock pear is also tolerant when it comes to the pH value: an acidic to slightly alkaline value is no problem for them. The shrub does well in uncut, wild hedges, but can also be planted as a specimen plant or a standard stem.

Summary: Which location does the rock pear like?

• Undemanding
• Sunny to partially shaded
• Well drained, moderately dry to moist soil
• pH value: 5 - 7.5

Tip: You can even cultivate your rock pear in a bucket if you have a small species, such as Amelanchier spicata, and place them in a sufficiently large planter. It is best to use high-quality soil such as our peat-free soil as the potting soil Plantura organic universal soil and mix them with 1/3 sand. Make sure that the water can run out of the bottom of the pot, otherwise your rock pear will soon suffer from root rot.

This is how you go about planting the rock pear

The best time to plant the rock pear is in spring, as soon as there is no more frost to be expected, or in autumn.
Water the root ball of the shrub for about an hour by placing it in a bucket of lukewarm water. During this time you can prepare the soil by loosening it up deeply and removing any larger stones. Then enrich the soil with compost or a fertilizer with long-term organic effects. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer creates the best conditions for your rock pear to grow.
Next, the planting hole is dug. This should have at least twice the circumference of the root ball. The bush is placed in the middle of this hole. Make sure that the root ball is only set as deep into the earth as it was in the pot. Then you can fill the hole with the excavated material and water it.

Planting rock pear: step-by-step instructions

1. Loosen the soil deeply
2. Work compost or a fertilizer with organic long-term effects into the soil
3. Water the root ball
4. Dig a planting hole; at least twice the circumference of the root ball
5. Put it in the middle of the hole
6. Only set as low as the plant was in the container
7. Fill the hole with excavated material
8. Pouring on

To plant your rock pear in a tub, first choose a sufficiently large planter. Then put a drainage layer in the pot, for example made of expanded clay or potsherds, so that the water in the pot can drain off easily. Then mix the substrate with our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer with organic long-term effects to ensure the ideal supply of nutrients to your rock pear right from the start. Then fill the container up to a third with the substrate, place the plant in the middle of the container and fill it up with the substrate. Then the rock pear just needs to be poured on. Nothing stands in the way of your growth.

Summary: how do you plant rock pears in the pot?

• Select a sufficiently large planter
• Create a drainage layer
• Substrate with Plantura organic universal fertilizer Mix
• Fill the vessel one third with substrate
• Place the rock pear in the middle of the pot
• Fill the pot with substrate
• Pouring on

Plant rock pear as a high stem

Whether as an ornamental shrub or fruit tree - you can also plant your rock pear as a high stem. Pay particular attention to the distance between the plants, as otherwise the bush can be overshadowed by other trees or bushes and will not develop as well. You should therefore plant it at a distance of eight to ten meters from other trees or set it as a solitary plant in the meadow. To make it easier for the shrub to grow, you can cut back the above-ground shoots by a third before planting. Then proceed as described above for planting. It is important for the high trunk that you pay attention to a correct supply of nutrients right from the start. So work ours before planting Plantura organic universal fertilizer into the soil with long-term organic effects. In this way you offer your future high trunk the best conditions to be able to grow well. After the young shrub is planted, you should dig a stick deep enough into the ground nearby for support. The rock pear is then tied to the rod with a piece of string - this gives it enough hold.

What should you watch out for when planting the rock pear as a high trunk?

• Planting distance to other trees: 8-10 meters
• Or plant it as a solitary tree
• Cut back above-ground shoots by a third
• When planting, proceed as described above
• Basic fertilization with Plantura Organic universal fertilizer [do not forget
• Tie the plant to a stick to support it

Maintain rock pear

Once the rock pear has been planted, you don't need to do much and you can especially enjoy the shrub. In the next section you will find out what to look for when fertilizing, watering and cutting the rock pear

Water and fertilize rock pear

Rock pears are super easy to care for and actually get along well in nutrient-poor and dry conditions. Therefore, the motto when caring for rock pears should always apply: less is more. You don't actually have to water your rock pear. The rock pear should only be kept sufficiently moist after planting; this also applies to young rock pears. In the case of prolonged periods of drought, you must of course save your rock pear from drying up. You shouldn't be too generous with the fertilizer either. One fertilization per year is sufficient. To do this, you can work compost or a fertilizer with organic long-term effects into the soil in spring. Our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer releases the valuable nutrients slowly and gently to the plant. In this way, the rock pear is supplied with nutrients in the long term and there is no risk of over-fertilization.

Summary: fertilize and water like the rock pear

• Less is more
• Water only when young and when it is dry for a long time
• Single application of fertilizer in spring

Cut rock pear

You may already have guessed it: Even when pruning, the rock pear is easy to care for. Your beautifully shaped crown forms all by itself, you don't have to use the secateurs to help.
Under no circumstances should you cut back older shrubs radically, as new shoots will only grow back very slowly afterwards.
If a rock pear grows too dense for you, you can cut off individual shoots directly above the ground in winter to thin out the crown. At the same time, you can also remove dead shoots

How do you cut rock pears?

• The crown forms by itself
• Regular back cuts or shaped cuts are therefore not necessary
• Never cut older plants radically
• Thin out to dense growth in winter
• Cut off shoots close to the ground
• Remove dead shoots

Propagate rock pear

Rock pears can by sowing, Cuttings or refinement are increased.
Propagation by sowing works particularly well with wild species. For this it is important that the seeds have been exposed to a cold period, otherwise they will not be able to germinate.
You can cut cuttings in spring, preferably in April or May. To do this, select a fresh shoot that should already be 5 to 15 centimeters long at the time. All leaves are removed from this and then placed in a special substrate for cuttings. However, the propagation of cuttings in rock pear is difficult and rarely crowned with success.
Rowanberry seedlings can be used as a base for grafting.

Hibernate rock pear

The rock pear is hardy and absolutely frost-tolerant. Even particularly icy winters cannot harm the shrub. All rock pear species can easily overwinter in your garden and do not require any special protection.

Harvest and store rock pear fruits

In the summer between June and August the catch Fruits of the rock pear to get ripe. But be patient and do not harvest the vitamin bombs too early, because they do not ripen and do not taste immature. You can tell whether the fruits are really ripe for harvest by the color: Depending on the degree of ripeness they get darker and darker and can - depending on the variety - be harvested when they are dark blue to black are. The fruits of the rock pear gradually ripen on the bush, which means that not all fruits are ready for harvest at the same time. You can therefore keep picking ripe fruits from the bush over a longer period of time.

Tip: Rock pears are very popular not only with humans but also with birds. So if you want to enjoy the fruits, you have to be faster with the harvest than crows & Co. or protect the shrub from predators in summer with a net.

Unfortunately, fresh rock pears can only be kept for a few days in the refrigerator. But there are many ways to preserve the healthy fruits. Along with other berries like Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) or Currants (Ribes) the rock pears can be boiled down with jam, jelly, juice or compote. If you like it alcoholic, you can also make a homemade liqueur or wine from the fruits. When dried, rock pears can also be used as tea.

Overview: harvesting and storing rock pear fruits

• Harvest time: June - August
• Don't harvest too early
• A darker color indicates that it is ready for harvest
• Re-harvest again and again
• Can only be kept fresh in the refrigerator for a few days
• Various processing options: jam, compote, liqueur, tea