On 13/12/2012 19:08, kay wrote:

'Spider[_3_ Wrote:
;974873']On 12/12/2012 23:12, Emery Davis wrote:-
On 12/12/2012 11:57 PM, Spider wrote:-
Can you tell me if A. lamarckii, in your experience, is the obedient
tree type or the suckering shrub type?-

Spider, ours suckers pretty freely. Definitely not obedient!-



Thanks, Emery. Well, I shan't be getting that one, then! Not that I
have anything against suckering shrubs or trees generally, but I don't
want to run out of planting opportunities for other good shrubs. I had

a lovely Berberis stenophylla once, with that attractive arching growth,

but it wanted to take over the world. Took me ages to dig it all out!
I still admire it in other gardens, but have learnt the lesson.


What are you both meaning by suckering here? Do you simply mean throwing
up branches from the base, or doing you mean sending our new branches
away from the plant, like snowberry or sumach? Amelanchier doesn't do
the latter in my experience.






When I refer to the Berberis stenophylla, I mean appearing feet away
from the original shrub and galloping out of control. The Berberis also
mildly suckered from the base in a more acceptable manor before it romped.

As to *my* potential Amelanchier, I am hoping it will be more tree than
shrub, perhaps a multi-stemmed treeish growth. I can tolerate a teensy
bit of basal suckering, but I certainly don't want an over-sized bush
with a stampeding suckering tendency.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay