Plant this...Not that - Serviceberry

A. canadensis in full bloom (Image: Cathy Dewitt).

Serviceberry

Amelanchier

Plant This!

Information by Sarah DePasquale

Abstract

Most of us have noted the ethereal beauty of blooming serviceberry lighting up awakening forests as an early sign of spring. Several different species of serviceberry - members of the genus Amelanchier - are native to our region and offer not only a welcome reprieve from winter but also a gorgeous four-season plant for the residential landscape.

Delicious crimson fruit in early summer (Image: Direct Native Plants).

Description

Known also as juneberry and shadbush, serviceberry species grow as single- or multi-stemmed trees that thrive in part shade to full sun and normal garden moisture. Amelanchier species feature airy clusters of delicate white flowers in spring before the leaves appear, followed by reddish to black fruit in summer, striking fall foliage, and attractive gray bark in winter.

Canadian serviceberry, Amelanchier canadensis, grows 15-20' tall and wide and is charming pruned as a multi-stemmed shrub. Allegheny serviceberry, Amelanchier laevis, is taller, reaching 20-40' tall and 15-20' wide at maturity.

Brilliant fall foliage of A. laevis (Image: Mt. Cuba Center, Delaware).

Natural History

Serviceberry’s many common names arise from its importance in our landscape and history. Its early bloom coincides with the ground thaw, allowing early settlers to conduct funeral services for the winter’s past. Shadberry, too, refers to the coincidence of bloom and the beginning of the American shad’s spawn. Finally, its name Juneberry is obvious: the crimson-to-black fruit, important in Indigenous food traditions, ripens in June, delighting birds and enterprising humans alike.

Why You Should Plant This

Aside from its obvious beauty, serviceberry offers much to the home garden. Unlike many wild foods labeled “edible”, this one is juicy and actually quite tasty - often described as a combination of huckleberry and apple. Songbirds go wild for the early summer fruit after the flowers have nourished pollinators, and even the foliage supports wildlife: Amelanchier species are a host plant for the Viceroy and Red-Spotted Purple butterflies.

Plant a serviceberry in your yard and watch the wildlife enjoy it as much as you do throughout the year!