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Amelanchier canadensis ‘White Pillar’

‘White Pillar’ is a cultivar of Amelanchier canadensis that was developed at Princeton Nurseries. Members of the genus Amelanchier (also called Shadblow) offer four seasons of interest — small white flowers (occasionally pinkish) in spring, edible berries in early summer, attractive foliage color in fall and interesting bark/branch structure in winter. Common names for Canadian or eastern amelanchier include juneberry and serviceberry, and refer to the blueberry-like drupes that are edible by humans and much beloved by birds. Found at woodland’s edge in the their native habitats, amelanchiers are deer-resistant and best used in a naturalistic setting in the home landscape.

Its leaves are much more resistant to leaf spot fungi that cause defoliation of the usual Amelanchier trees in warm, humid weather. Very abundant non-fragrant white blooms that though small are so densely borne as to substantially hide the branches. Flowers first bloom in early April and are in full bloom within a week in central New Jersey; sparse purple fruits are borne in June. The trunk is pale grey.

This small tree only reaches 15′ wide by 20′ tall at maturity. Leaves are abundant, leathery and thick, moderately olive green; upper and lower surfaces are essentially the same. They display a glowing mixture of red and purple shades in the fall, and lose their leaves early.