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Osteomeles schwerinae - Schneid.

Author	Schneid.	Botanical references	11, 200, 266
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Osteomeles
Synonyms	Osteomeles anthyllidifolia - non Lindl.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	E. Asia - W. China in Yunnan and W. Sichuan.
Habitat	By streams and in hot dry river valleys, 350 - 2000 metres[109, 200]. Among shrubs, slopes, fields, roadsides and mixed forests at elevations of 1500 - 3000 metres[266].
Edibility Rating	1 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen Shrub growing to 2m by 3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[105]. The white fruit has a sweet flavour[2]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds a sheltered position in full sun in any fertile well-drained soil[166, 182, 188]. Plants usually require protection outside the mildest areas of Britain[11], they are hardy to about -5°c, though the sub-species O. schwerinii microphylla. Rehder.&Wils. is hardier, to about -10°c[184]. This sub-species is often mistakenly sold under the name O. subrotunda[219]. They can be grown on a sunny wall[11]. Seed is seldom set in Britain[219].

Propagation

The seed requires a period of cold stratification and can be sown in late autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in the autumn and overwinter in a greenhouse. Fair to good percentage[78]. Layering.

Links

References

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae. 0
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[166] Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Osteomeles schwerinae

John R. Dunmire Thu Sep 27 2007

My plant of Osteomeles schwerinae (subrotunda?) came from a Portland, OR garden. I have had itfor about 20 years. It used to produce BLUE fruits which tated like blueberries. They were small and seedy, but might be capable of improvement. Clustered flowers like small elder blossoms are attractive. My plant no longer fruits (overgrown by shade). Foliage attractive. Plant needs pruning to control sprawl.Plant is growing in Los Altos, California.

Osteomeles schwerinae

Jeffrey S. Brooks Sun Mar 8 2009

One Osteomeles schwerinae C.K. Schneid. was found growing successfully in Tucson, Arizona, USA on the north side of a brick wall. It bloomed this spring (2009) in early March after a moist/warm winter. The tree's leaves turned tawny colored during the winter apparently due to the occasional light frost. The source of this plant was apparently the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Home Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is blue skin with a white interior and has a sweet flavor. It is about 8mm in diameter and resembles a blue berry in physical appearance and flavor.

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