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Common Name: Squaw Apple

General Information

Peraphyllum ramosissimum is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 1.80 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America.

Habitat

Dry hillsides[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a good well-drained neutral or lime-free loam and the maximum possible sunshine in a sheltered position[, ]. Does well in hot dry summers[].
Closely related to the Amelanchier species[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Sour when unripe, the fruits are slightly bitter as they ripen and when fully ripe are sweetish but with a bitter after-taste[, ]. Those fruits that have fully ripened and dried on the plant are the sweetest and most desirable[, ]. Ripe fruits can also be used in making jellies or prepared like spiced crab apples[, ]. Fruits are rarely borne in Britain[, ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise as soon as stored seed is received. Stored seed is likely to require a period of cold stratification. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting out in late spring.
Layering in spring. Takes 12 months[].