Kupferfelsenbirne

Die Kupfer-Felsenbirne im Garten

Die Kupfer-Felsenbirne kam aus Nordamerika zu uns. Hier fühlt sie sich so wohl, dass sie auch verwildert angetroffen werden kann.

Im Garten wächst sie als hübscher Kleinbaum und auch als Großstrauch und erreicht Höhen bis zu 5 m. Der unkomplizierte, winterharte und gesunde Strauch gedeiht beinahe "überall", sofern er einige Stunden Sonne abbekommt und nicht schwerem Boden mit Staunässe ausgesetzt ist.

Die Kupfer-Felsenbirne bereichert jeden Garten, auch den kleinen und kleinsten, denn sie kommt auch mit einem Pflanzgefäß zurecht. 

Nicht nur Insekten und Vögel haben ihre Freude an ihr, sondern auch uns Menschen beschenkt sie mit ihrem sich jahreszeitlich sich änderndem Habitus: Mit ihr erleben wir augenscheinlich den Wandel der Jahreszeiten! Ihr Erscheinungsbild lässt keine Langeweile aufkommen, sondern erfreut uns mit Abwechslung das ganze Jahr über:

• Im Frühling mit einer weißen Blütenwolke,
• im Sommer mit essbaren, süßen Früchtchen, die wie Rosinen verwendet werden können,
• im Herbst mit leuchtend kupferroter Blattfärbung,
• im Winter mit seinem grazilen Geäst.

Prefers a rich loamy soil in a sunny position or semi-shade but thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers an acid or neutral soil. Hardy to about -25°c. This species does not produce suckers. All members of this genus have edible fruits and, whilst this is dry and uninteresting in some species, in many others it is sweet and juicy. Many of the species have potential for use in the garden as edible ornamentals. The main draw-back to this genus is that birds adore the fruit and will often completely strip a tree before it is fully ripe[K]. This species is worthy of special attention because of the quality of its fruit. It was formerly cultivated for these fruits and there are some named varieties. The fruit is freely produced in Britain. Considerable confusion has existed between this species and A. arborea, A. canadensis and A. laevis, see for the latest (1991) classification. Some botanists consider this species to be a natural hybrid A. canadensis x A. laevis. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Grafting onto seedlings of A. lamarckii or Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 9 through 5. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is multistemmed with multiple stems from the crown [1-2]. The root pattern is flat with shallow roots forming a plate near the soil surface [1-2]. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant [1-2].

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Edible fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and succulent with a flavour of apples, they can also be dried for later use. This is one of the nicest fruits in the genus, they can be eaten and enjoyed in quantity[K]. The fruit is rich in iron and copper. It is up to 10mm in diameter.

None known

Heimisch: DK, England [I] (England [I], Wales [I], Scotland [I]); Ireland [I] (Ireland [I], Northern Ireland [I]); Sweden [I]; Netherlands [I]; Belgium [c]; Germany [c]; France [c]; USA, Europe & Northern Asia (excluding China), NO, New York, Ontario, SE, Vermont Eingeführt: Belgium, British Columbia, Brussels-Capital Region, CZ, Channel Is., Czech Republic, Czechia-Slovakia, DE, DK, Denmark, Dutch Wadden Sea Islands, England, FR, Finland, Flemish Region, France, GB, Germany, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Great Britain, IT, Ireland, Italy, LU, NL, NO, Netherlands, Norway, PL, Poland, SE, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden, The Netherlands, Wales, Walloon Region