Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) OBELISK PBR

Saskatoon Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) 'Obelisk' PBR

A beautiful columnar variety with a narrow growth habit, ideal for smaller gardens, offering high ornamental value and tasty fruits.

The 'Obelisk' variety is a beautiful, tall, and primarily columnar cultivar of the Saskatoon berry. Thanks to its narrow and compact growth, it is the ideal choice for small gardens, narrow streets, or as a solitary plant in smaller flower beds where there simply isn't room for wide-spreading shrubs.

Main advantages of the variety:

• Columnar (narrow) growth: Ideal for tight spaces and small gardens (width only 1 to max. 2 m).
• High ornamental value: Beautiful spring bloom, bronze emerging leaves, and brilliant yellow-orange autumn colors.
• Excellent taste: The small berries are not only pretty but also exceptionally tasty.
• High resistance: Fully frost-hardy, wind-resistant, and drought-tolerant.
• Low maintenance: Highly adaptable to various soil types.

Origin and Registration

• Origin: Belgium (Breeding institution: Kalmthout Arboretum). Selected from seedlings and introduced to the market in 1994.

Variety Characteristics

Shrub / Tree

• Vigor and Habit: Medium-strong growth. The crown shape is columnar and dense. Branches grow vertically (upright) and are finely branched.
• Height and Width: Reaches a height of 3 to 4.5 meters depending on pruning. The width is only 1 to 2 meters, confirming its narrow profile.
• Growth Types: Can be grown as a standard tree with a high trunk or as a bush with a central leader and branches growing from the ground.
• Root System: Strongly branched, widely spreading (both deep and shallow).

Leaves, Flowers, and Fruits

• Leaves: Broad, ovate with a sharp tip and serrated edges. They emerge bronze in spring, turn green on top (grey-green underneath) in summer, and color beautifully brilliant yellow-orange in autumn.
• Flowers: Blooms from late April to early May. White, star-shaped flowers are arranged in large, upright, and loose racemes. They have a very pleasant floral scent.
• Fruits: Small blue-purple berries that are exceptionally tasty and suitable for universal use.

Resistance and Requirements

• Frost and Wind: Shows very good frost resistance (USDA zone 5a - 8b). It is also highly resistant to wind.
• Soil: Very adaptable. Tolerates sandy-loam, heavy clay, light, and normal loam soils. Prefers a normal nutrient content (humus-rich soils) with an acidic to neutral pH (5.1 - 7.5).

Cultivation Recommendations

• Location: Establishes and grows best in full sun. Thanks to its narrow shape, it is perfect for both large and small gardens, or even larger terraces.
• Moisture: Mildly moist soil that retains water well is ideal. However, once well-established, the shrub is also highly drought-resistant.