Amelanchier with new shoots?

marshmellowskiesW41bAiuI · October 2023

Hello there,
I have an amelanchier that’s been planted for a couple of years now. It never looks particularly healthy and by the end of summer the leaves are spotty. Now the leaves are falling but there are multiple new shoots with green leaves - does anyone know what this means? Are these healthy shoots or a sign that something is wrong?
Many thanks for any advice,
Lizzie

Fairygirl · October 2023

How is it planted - is it directly into grass? If so, it may well be suffering from lack of water. They'll struggle if there's a lot of competition for moisture long term. Like rowans, it's another tree that's hard to overwater. It certainly shouldn't be looking so bare if it's a well established tree.

They often produce new spurs on the main trunk, and those can be removed.

marshmellowskiesW41bAiuI · October 2023

Hi FairyGirl,

When it was planted we cleared a metre circle around it and then mulched. But it is within a lawn- just has that circle still around it where there’s no grass.

So the new spurs are something I should remove?

I thought the leaves falling now was just because it’s autumn - but is that not the case? I was more confused by the new growth.

Thanks for your help!

robairdmacraignil · October 2023

Amelanchier here are mostly after dropping their leaves for winter so I don't think your tree being bare now is a problem. There are a few green leaves on my Amelanchier canadensis tree. Overall the Amelanchier trees I have did not have a very productive year in terms of flowers or fruit here and it may be that weather conditions this year have them a bit confused. I don't think removing the green growth would help your tree and the leaves will probably just fall off in time on their own anyway. Later produced leaves may be able to stay on the tree longer than the first lot produced in spring so I don't think the feature of some leaves retained is a major issue.

Happy gardening!

Dovefromabove · October 2023

I agree … there’s nothing to he gained by removing leaves … they'll fall in their own good time. I think your amelanchier responded to a changeable season by putting out a few new shoots … that’s all

I planted my multistemmed amelanchier in 2016 … I still water it generously during the dry spells we’ve had in the last two summers.

Fairygirl · October 2023

Interesting @robairdmacraignil - all the amelanchiers here are fine, but we had a fairly normal season apart from a few hot/dry spells, but not enough to affect tree growth or the amount of moisture they could access. If @marshmello is in a drier area, lack of moisture is the most likely reason though, especially if it's never been particularly healthy, as was stated.
I've not really watered the one in this garden since it was planted a couple of years ago. Maybe once or twice last year. It's still a young tree, and has only been turning and dropping foliage in the last week or so.

I remove all those lower side shoots from the trees that have a single trunk to retain the shape. Not needed on a multi stem type though, so it depends on the look required.

Amelanchier with new shoots?

Posts