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| Leaf Photo by: Steven J. Baskauf |
Bark Photo by: John Ruter |
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| Flower Photo by: Sean Fox |
Tree Photo by: Sean Fox |
Serviceberry fruits were a staple food of the Cree tribes of the Prairies, who mixed the dried berries with buffalo meat to make pemmican.
Serviceberries are a group of similar species found throughout Ontario, as far north as James Bay. Tree-sized species include Saskatoon serviceberry (A. alnifolia) found near the Ontario-Manitoba border, downy serviceberry (A. arborea) native to southwestern Ontario, and smooth serviceberry (A. laevis) found from Southern Ontario north to Lake Superior.
It can be hard to tell different serviceberry species apart but they are often multi-trunked with smooth gray bark. Leaves are oval or round, less than 8 cm long, with fine teeth on the edges. Clusters of white flowers appear in spring and tasty berries ripen early to mid-summer.
Serviceberries are a very adaptable group of species, attract wildlife and offer beautiful fall colours. Ask your local native nursery which species will do best in your area.
Size: Up to 12 m tall
Moisture: Moist to dry sites
Shade: Partial-shade to full sun
Soil: Adaptable to all but water-logged soils
Planting Tip: Serviceberries transplant easily due to their fibrous root systems. They can be purchased and pruned as single-stem specimen trees or naturalized and allowed to form multi-stemmed clumps or hedgerows. Smooth serviceberry will sucker least and is best suited to growing as a tree. More tips...
