▁It ▁is ▁a ▁decid uous ▁shr ub ▁or ▁small ▁tree ▁that ▁most ▁often ▁grows ▁to ▁, ▁rarely ▁to ▁, ▁in ▁height . ▁Its ▁growth ▁form ▁sp ans ▁from ▁su ck ering ▁and ▁forming ▁colon ies ▁to ▁cl ump ed . ▁ ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁o val ▁to ▁nearly ▁circular , ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁broad , ▁on ▁a ▁ ▁leaf ▁stem , ▁marg ins ▁to oth ed ▁mostly ▁above ▁the ▁middle . ▁The ▁fol i age ▁is ▁brow sed ▁by ▁de er ▁and ▁liv est ock . ▁ ▁As ▁with ▁all ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁genus ▁Am el anch ier , ▁the ▁flowers ▁are ▁white , ▁with ▁five ▁quite ▁separate ▁pet als . ▁In ▁A . ▁al n ifolia , ▁they ▁are ▁about ▁ ▁across , ▁and ▁appear ▁on ▁short ▁rac emes ▁of ▁three ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁somewhat ▁crow ded ▁together , ▁in ▁spring ▁while ▁the ▁new ▁leaves ▁are ▁still ▁expand ing . ▁ ▁The ▁fruit ▁is ▁a ▁small ▁pur ple ▁p ome ▁ ▁in ▁diameter , ▁rip ening ▁in ▁early ▁summer ▁in ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas ▁and ▁late ▁summer ▁further ▁in land . ▁They ▁are ▁e aten ▁by ▁wild life ▁including ▁birds , ▁squ ir rel s ▁and ▁be ars . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁lar val ▁host ▁to ▁the ▁pale ▁t iger ▁sw allow tail , ▁two - ta iled ▁sw allow tail , ▁and ▁the ▁western ▁t iger ▁sw allow tail . ▁ ▁Vari eties ▁The ▁three ▁vari eties ▁are : ▁A . ▁a . ▁var . ▁al n