Amelanchier
Service berry
title: "Amelanchier" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["amelanchier", "rosaceae-genera", "plants-used-in-native-american-cuisine", "fruit-trees"] description: "Service berry" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Service berry ::
::callout[type=note] Serviceberry redirects here; see also Service tree. ::
| image = Amelanchier grandiflora2.jpg | display_parents = 3 | taxon = Amelanchier | authority = Medik. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = About 20; see text |}}
Amelanchier ( ), also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry (or just sarvis), juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear, is a genus of about 20 species of deciduous-leaved shrubs and small trees in the rose family (Rosaceae).
Amelanchier is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, growing primarily in early successional habitats. It is most diverse taxonomically in North America, especially in the northeastern United States and adjacent southeastern Canada, and at least one species is native to every U.S. state except Hawaii and to every Canadian province and territory. Four species also occur in Asia, and two in Europe.
A pome fruit, the berries are commonly consumed by wildlife and picked by humans for uses in baked goods. The Canadian city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is named after a Cree term for the berry.
Description
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Amelanchier_alnifolia_6338.JPG" caption="''[[Amelanchier alnifolia]]''"] ::
The various species of Amelanchier grow to 0.2–20 m tall; some are small trees, some are multistemmed, clump-forming shrubs, and yet others form extensive low shrubby patches (clones). The bark is gray or less often brown, and in tree species smooth or fissuring when older. The leaves are deciduous, cauline, alternate, simple, lanceolate to elliptic to orbiculate, 0.5–10 x 0.5–5.5 cm, thin to coriaceous, with surfaces above glabrous or densely tomentose at flowering, and glabrous or more or less hairy beneath at maturity.
The inflorescences are terminal, with 1–20 flowers, erect or drooping, either in clusters of one to four flowers, or in racemes with 4–20 flowers. The flowers have five white (rarely somewhat pink, yellow, or streaked with red), linear to orbiculate petals, 2.6–25 mm long, with the petals in one species (A. nantucketensis) often andropetalous (bearing apical microsporangia adaxially). The flowers appear in early spring, "when the shad run" according to North-American tradition (leading to names such as "shadbush"). The fruit is a berrylike pome, red to purple to nearly black at maturity, 5–15 mm in diameter, insipid to delectably sweet, maturing in summer.
Amelanchier plants are valued horticulturally, and their fruits are important to wildlife. Some orchards are cultivated in the Canadian Prairie provinces, which are subjected to severe winter cold of -60 C, indicating the hardiness of the plant having a lifespan up to 50 years.
Taxonomy
The taxonomic classification of shadbushes has long perplexed botanists, horticulturalists, and others, as suggested by the range in number of species recognized in the genus, from 6 to 33, in two recent publications. A major source of complexity comes from the occurrence of hybridization, polyploidy, and apomixis (asexual seed production), making species difficult to characterize and identify.
Species
Species accepted by the Plants of the World Online as of April 2023:
::data[format=table]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| [[File:Amelanchier alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia 4.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nutt. ex M.Roem. | Saskatoon serviceberry, alder-leaved shadbush, saskatoon, saskatoon berry |
| [[File:Blutrote Felsenbirne (Amelanchier sanguinea) 5868.JPG | 120px]] | Amelanchier amabilis Wiegand | |
| [[File:Amelanchier arborea sarvis close 4×3.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier arborea (F.Michx.) Fernald | downy serviceberry |
| [[File:Amelanchier asiatica4.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier asiatica (Siebold & Zucc.) Endl. ex Walp. | Korean juneberry or Asian serviceberry |
| [[File:Amelanchier bartramiana 15-p.bot-amel.bartra-03.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier bartramiana (Tausch) M.Roem. | mountain shadbush |
| [[File:加拿大唐棣 Amelanchier canadensis -上海辰山植物園 Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden- (17262961731).jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medik. | title=Shadblow Serviceberry Department of Horticulture |
| Amelanchier cretica (Willd.) DC. | South eastern Europe | ||
| [[File:Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii 1.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier cusickii Fernald | |
| Amelanchier fernaldii Wiegand | Eastern Canada. | ||
| Amelanchier gaspensis (Wiegand) Fernald & Weatherby | Quebec (Gaspé Peninsula) | ||
| [[File:Amelanchier humilis 128105342.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier humilis Wiegand | low shadbush |
| [[File:Amelanchier wiegandii - blossoms - 2.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier interior E.L.Nielsen | Wiegand's shadbush |
| Amelanchier intermedia Spach | E. Canada to N. Central & NE U.S. | ||
| [[File:Amelanchier laevis 15-p.bot-amel.laevi-17.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier laevis Wiegand | smooth shadbush, smooth serviceberry, Allegheny serviceberry |
| [[File:Amelanchier nantucketensis (Nantucket Juneberry) (34321014735).jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier nantucketensis E.P.Bicknell | Nantucket serviceberry |
| [[File:1024 Felsenbirne (Amelanchier obovalis)-2247.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier obovalis (Michx.) Ashe | Southern Juneberry, Coastal serviceberry |
| [[File:Amelanchier ovalis-Amélanchier des bois-20210329.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier ovalis Medik. | snowy mespilus |
| Amelanchier pallida Greene | pale serviceberry or western serviceberry | United States (California and Arizona) | |
| Amelanchier parviflora Boiss. | Turkey | ||
| [[File:Blutrote Felsenbirne (Amelanchier sanguinea) 5868.JPG | 120px]] | Amelanchier sanguinea (Pursh) DC. | red-twigged shadbush or roundleaf serviceberry |
| [[File:Amelanchier asiatica var. sinica 2016-05-17 0126b.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier sinica (C.K.Schneid.) Chun | Chinese serviceberry |
| Amelanchier stolonifera Wiegand | running serviceberry | E. Canada to N. Central & NE U.S. | |
| Amelanchier turkestanica Litv. | Kazakhstan (Bayanaul Hills) | ||
| [[File:Amelanchier utahensis 3.jpg | 120px]] | Amelanchier utahensis Koehne | Utah serviceberry |
| :: |
Natural hybrids
- Amelanchier × lamarckii F.G.Schroed. ( A. arborea × A. laevis.)– Juneberry
- Amelanchier × neglecta Eggl. ex K.R.Cushman, M.B.Burgess, E.T.Doucette & C.S.Campb. (A. bartramiana × A. laevis.)
- Amelanchier × quinti-martii Louis-Marie (A. arborea × A. bartramiana. )
- Amelanchier × spicata (Lam.) K.Koch (A. alnifolia × A. humilis.) - low juneberry
Garden hybrids
Since classifications have varied greatly over the past century, species names are often used interchangeably in the nursery trade. Several natural or horticultural hybrids also exist, and many A. arborea and A. canadensis plants that are offered for sale are actually hybrids, or entirely different species. A. × grandiflora is another hybrid of garden origin, between A. arborea and A. laevis. The cultivar 'La Paloma' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/167959/i-Amelanchier-i-La-Paloma/Details | title = Amelanchier 'La Paloma | publisher=Royal Horticultural Society | date=2017 | access-date=5 January 2018}}
A taxon called Amelanchier lamarckii (or A. x lamarckii) is very widely cultivated and naturalized in Europe, where it was introduced in the 17th century. It is apomictic, breeding true from seed, and probably of hybrid origin, perhaps descending from a cross between A. laevis and either A. arborea or A. canadensis. While A. lamarckii is known to be of North American origin, probably from eastern Canada, it is not known to occur naturally in the wild in North America.
Etymology
The origin of the generic name Amelanchier is probably derived from amalenquièr, amelanchièr, the Provençal names of the European Amelanchier ovalis.
The name serviceberry comes from the similarity of the fruit to the related European Sorbus. Juneberry refers to the fruits of certain species becoming ripe in June. The name saskatoon originated from a Cree noun misâskwatômina (misāskwatōmina, misaaskwatoomina) for Amelanchier alnifolia.
Shadberry refers to the shad runs in certain New England streams, which generally took place about when the trees bloomed.
Ecology
Amelanchier plants are preferred browse for deer and rabbits, and heavy browsing pressure can suppress natural regeneration. Caterpillars of such Lepidoptera as the brimstone moth, brown-tail, grey dagger, mottled umber, rough prominent, satellite, winter moth, red-spotted purple and white admiral (both Limenitis arthemis), as well as various other herbivorous insects feed on Amelanchier. Many insects and diseases that attack orchard trees also affect this genus, in particular trunk borers and Gymnosporangium rust. In years when late flowers of Amelanchier overlap those of wild roses and brambles, bees may spread bacterial fireblight.
Cultivation
Selections from A. alnifolia have been chosen for fruit production, with several named cultivars. Other cultivars appear to be derived from hybridization between A. alnifolia and A. stolonifera. Propagation is by seed, divisions, and grafting. Serviceberries graft so readily that grafts onto other genera, such as Crataegus and Sorbus, are often successful.
Garden history
Several species are very popular ornamental shrubs, grown for their flowers, bark, and fall color. All need similar conditions to grow well, requiring good drainage, air circulation (to discourage leaf diseases), watering during drought, and soil appropriate for the species.
George Washington planted specimens of Amelanchier on the grounds of his estate, Mount Vernon, in Virginia.
Uses
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Amelanchier_ovalis3.JPG" caption="Fruit and leaves of ''[[Amelanchier ovalis]]''"] ::
The fruit of several species is safe to eat raw, possessing a mild sweetness strongly accented by the almond-like flavour of the seeds. The fruit was harvested for food by the Aboriginal people and early settlers of western Canada.
The fruit can be harvested for pies, muffins, jams, and wine. The saskatoon berry is harvested commercially. One version of the Native American food pemmican was flavored by serviceberry fruits in combination with minced dried meat and fat.
The wood is brown, hard, close-grained, and heavy. The heartwood is reddish-brown, and the sapwood is lighter in color. It can be used for tool handles and fishing rods. Native Americans used it for arrow shafts. Members of the Pit River Tribe would use the wood to create a sort of body armor, crafting it into a heavy robe or overcoat and corset armor worn during fighting.
In culture
The city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is named after this plant.
References
References
- {{OED. amelanchier
- [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=101333 Campbell, C. S., Dibble, A. C., Frye, C. T., & Burgess, M. B. (2015). ''Amelanchier''. In FNA Editorial Committee, ''Flora of North America'' 9. Magnoliophyta: Rosidae (in part): Rosales (in part). Oxford University Press, New York.]
- A Digital Flora of Newfoundland and Labrador Vascular Plants: [http://www.digitalnaturalhistory.com/genus_amelanchier_index.htm ''Genus Amelanchier'']
- University of Maine: [http://amelanchier.umaine-biology.net/ ''Amelanchier'' Systematics and Evolution]
- (2024). "Saskatoon berry". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- Landry P. (1975). "Le concept d'espece et la taxonomie du genre Amelanchier (Rosacees)". Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr..
- (1990). "A checklist of the subfamily Maloideae (Rosaceae)". Can. J. Bot..
- (2017-09-13). "Amelanchier Medik. - Plants of the World Online".
- "Shadblow Serviceberry {{!}} Department of Horticulture".
- Canadian Wildlife Federation: [http://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/encyclopedias/flora/serviceberries.html ''Serviceberries'']
- smooth serviceberry, TD Tree Bee, https://treebee.ca/trees/smooth-serviceberry/
- Flora Europaea: [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Amelanchier+&SPECIES_XREF=ovalis&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= ''Amelanchier ovalis'']
- Flora of China: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200010605 ''Amelanchier sinica'']
- Bean, W. J. (1976). ''Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles'' 8th ed., vol. 1. John Murray {{ISBN. 0-7195-1790-7.
- Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins {{ISBN. 0-00-220013-9.
- Jepson Flora: [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Amelanchier+alnifolia ''Amelanchier alnifolia'']
- American Society for Horticultural Science. (1997). "The Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit & Nut Varieties, 3rd ed.". ASHS Press.
- Angier, Bradford. (1974). "Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants". Stackpole Books.
- (2024). "Pemmican". The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- Merriam, C. Hart. (1967). "Ethnographic Notes on California Indian Tribes". University of California.
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