Rosaceous Shrubs
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Nancy L. Shaw Stephen B. Monsen Chapter Richard Stevens 22 Rosaceous Shrubs Important shrubs of the Rose Family (Rosaceae) in the Inter- mountain region are distributed from blackbrush and salt desert shrub communities through high elevation forests and meadows. Growth habits of this group vary from trailing brambles to upright shrubs and small trees. Some species are evergreen while others are deciduous. Many of these species are highly valued for the cover, fruits, and forage they provide for wildlife and livestock. Rosaceous species that develop spreading root systems, root suckers, rhizomes, or stem layers provide soil stabilization. Several species are capable of regenerating follow- ing fire. Those that produce fragrant flowers or colorful fall foliage are prized for their ornamental value. Because of their browse value, antelope bitterbrush and several other rosaceous shrubs were among the first species to be used in wildlife habitat improvement efforts. Members of the bitter- brush-cliffrose complex as well as serviceberries, chokecherries, and the mountain mahoganies lend themselves to artificial seeding; their seed are fairly large and relatively easy to collect, clean, store, and plant. Additional species of this family are seeing increased use in response to the growing emphasis on use of native species for wildland revegetation and low maintenance landscaping, community restoration issues, mitigation for en- dangered species, and a general shift to employ revegetation when deemed necessary to conserve or restore ecosystem diver- sity and functionality. USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-136. 2004 539 Chapter 22 Rosaceous Shrubs Chapter Contents by Species Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon serviceberry) ................................................................................ 541 Amelanchier utahensis (Utah serviceberry) ....................................................................................... 543 Cercocarpus betuloides (Birchleaf mountain mahogany) .................................................................. 544 Cercocarpus intricatus (Littleleaf mountain mahogany) .................................................................. 545 Cercocarpus ledifolius (Curlleaf mountain mahogany) ..................................................................... 545 Cercocarpus montanus (True mountain mahogany).......................................................................... 550 Coleogyne ramosissima (Blackbrush) ................................................................................................. 552 Cotoneaster acutifolia (Peking cotoneaster) ....................................................................................... 555 Cowania stansburiana (Stansbury cliffrose or cliffrose) ................................................................... 556 Crataegus douglasii (Douglas or river hawthorn) ............................................................................. 560 Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume) .................................................................................................... 561 Holodiscus discolor (Creambush oceanspray) .................................................................................... 563 Holodiscus dumosus (Rockspirea) ...................................................................................................... 565 Peraphyllum ramosissimum (Indian apple) ....................................................................................... 566 Physocarpus malvaceous (Mallowleaf ninebark) ............................................................................... 567 Potentilla fruticosa (Shrubby cinquefoil) ............................................................................................ 569 Prunus americana (American plum) .................................................................................................. 571 Prunus andersonii (Desert almond or Anderson peachbrush) .......................................................... 572 Prunus besseyi (Bessey cherry) ........................................................................................................... 573 Prunus emarginata (Bitter cherry) ..................................................................................................... 574 Prunus fasciculata (Desert peachbrush) ............................................................................................ 575 Prunus spinosa (Blackthorn) .............................................................................................................. 577 Prunus tomentosa (Nanking cherry) .................................................................................................. 577 Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry) ....................................................................................................... 577 Purshia glandulosa (Desert bitterbrush) ........................................................................................... 579 Purshia tridentata (Antelope bitterbrush) ......................................................................................... 581 Rosa woodsii ultramontana (Woods rose) .......................................................................................... 586 Rubus leucodermis (Black raspberry, blackcap) ................................................................................ 590 Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry) ...................................................................................................... 591 Sorbus scopulina (Greene’s mountain ash) ........................................................................................ 592 Sorbus sitchensis (Sitka mountain ash) ............................................................................................. 594 Spiraea betulifolia (Bridal wreath) .................................................................................................... 594 Spiraea densiflora (Subalpine spiraea) .............................................................................................. 596 Spiraea douglasii (Douglas spiraea)................................................................................................... 596 Use of rosaceous species often presents challenges Seedlings of native or introduced species of Prunus to those involved in revegetation efforts. Size and and Rosa are traditionally grown by many nurseries quality of seed crops vary considerably from year to for conservation plantings. Antelope bitterbrush, Sas- year. Complex germination requirements, low initial katoon serviceberry, and curlleaf mountain mahogany growth rates, sensitivity to competition, and rodent or true mountain mahogany seedlings are commonly and bird preference for seed and seedlings of some grown for wildlife habitat improvement. Seedlings of species hinder their establishment and reduce sur- specific ecotypes and most other species must gener- vival. Appropriate planting practices and manage- ally be obtained through contract production. ment of young seedlings or plants are required to Characteristics of the site of origin of seed or plant- minimize these problems. Control of browsing by live- ing stock should be matched to those of the planting stock and wildlife during the first 2 to 3 years is often site as closely as possible; ecotypes of individual spe- essential to improve establishment and early growth. cies vary considerably in range of adaptability. Al- Bareroot or containerized planting stock is commonly though few rosaceous shrub cultivars have been se- used to shorten the period of seedling vulnerability. lected and released for commercial production of seed 540 USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-136. 2004 Chapter 22 Rosaceous Shrubs and planting stock by the USDA Soil Conservation Although different geographic races have not been Service (Hassell 1988), a number of others are under identified, they are expected to occur within these study. Site requirements and characteristics of re- widely distributed species (Brinkman 1974a). In addi- leased cultivars have been extensively studied and tion, several hybrids have been reported (Cruise 1964). documented. Publications are available describing the Saskatoon serviceberry is distributed from Alaska attributes and site requirements of commonly col- and the Yukon east to Hudson’s Bay and south to lected antelope bitterbrush populations (Tiedemann California, New Mexico, and Nebraska (Harrington and Johnson 1983). Verification of seed origin of 1964; Welsh and others 1987). Plants occur from near wildland collections may be accomplished by monitor- sea level to over 9,000 ft (2,770 m) in the Rocky ing contract seed collections from designated native Mountains in areas with an annual precipitation of sites or plantings. Seed certifying agencies have devel- 12 to 25 inches (30 to 64 cm) or more (Jones 1946). oped a “source identified” classification for wildland Saskatoon serviceberry grows on sites ranging from seed certification that provides verification of site of dry, rocky, exposed slopes to riparian areas with deep origin as well as compliance with minimum seed moist soils. At the lower edge of its range, plants are quality standards (Young 1995). often intermixed with mountain big sagebrush/grass Seeding recommendations for major vegetative types and to a lesser extent with Wyoming big sagebrush/ and conditions are discussed in chapter 17. Rosaceous grass communities (Tisdale and Hironaka 1981). shrubs adapted to these vegetative