Title: About Serviceberries
Categories: Fruit Info Canadian
Yield: 1 Info file

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Serviceberries were named for their early spring bloom, coinciding with the services conducted by preachers riding circuit through the mountains after the spring thaw. An Appalachian dialect version is Sarvistree. The shrub Amelanchiers tend to be called Shadbush or Shadblow because shad spawn when they blossom. Another common name is Juneberry. Actually, the various species come into flower and fruit as much as a month apart.

The fruit is a pome, but no bigger than a blueberry. Songbirds, squirrels, and bears relish them. Sweet but not tart, they are suitable for fresh eating, though some people find them insipid and cook them with lemon juice, rhubarb, or currants for added character. Fruit quality varies, so if you plan to eat the fruit, choose a cultivar selected for good flavor.

The most common one, available through several mail order catalogs, is "Success" which is a 6' tall, stoloniferous shrub. A. Grandiflora (Apple Serviceberry), a 15'-30' tree, also produces good fruit. Saskatoon; (A. alnifolia) is often sold for its fruit, but it is native to Canada and the Pacific Northwest, not to our region.

Louisa Thompson, MG http://www.agnr.umd.edu/users/mg/natascl.htm Master Gardener Home Page

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