[Overview]
A deciduous shrub.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong to ovate, with fine serrations on the margin.
The leaves turn red in autumn.
Cymose to racemose inflorescences at the branch tips bear many pale pink to white flowers with 5 petals.
There are about 20 stamens.
The fruit is a pome that ripens red or blackish purple.
[Uses]
The fruit is eaten fresh or made into jam.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, cuttings, or suckers.
The germination rate of the seeds falls when they dry out, so harvest the ripe fruit, wash off the flesh, bury the seeds in moistened vermiculite or similar so they do not dry out, and store them in a cool, dark place; take them out the following spring and wash them well again before sowing.
It prefers sunny, well-drained soil.
Once established, plants in the ground need no watering beyond rainfall.
Apply organic fertilizer in winter, and place slow-release fertilizer on the soil after flowering as a thank-you fertilizer.
There are no particular pests or diseases.
