Scientific Name:
Amelanchier alnifolia
Pronunciation:
am-ul-LANK-ee-ur al-nih-FOE-lee-uh
Common Name:
Saskatoon berry, Pacific serviceberry
Family Name:
Rosaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaf blades mostly obovate, 3-5cm long x 2-4cm wide, margins serrate (at least towards the apex while bases to midleaf may be entire), initially pubescent then glabrous, 2-5cm long; raceme of open, white florets with 5 petals, each about 2cm long; pomes pulpy, blue to purplish-black, 5-14mm long. Winter ID: buds alternate, cobweb-like covered tips; twigs orange to red-brown, smooth with prominent lenticels; buds conical with imbricate scales, 3-12mm long.
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
3 - 5m
Mature Spread:
3 - 4m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
B.C. east of Cascades, B.C. west of Cascades, Canada - central, U.S. - northwest
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 2: (-46 to -40 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Fall interest, Fragrance, Herb, Mixed shrub border, Reclamation, Spring interest, Urban agriculture, Waterside planting, Wildlife food, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to running serviceberry (eastern North America).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent, Tomentose
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblong, Obovate, Orbicular, Ovate
Apices:
Rounded, Truncate
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Serrate
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, Coarsely toothed on upper half leaf margin
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Fruit Type:
Edible, Pome
Fruit Colour:
Purple, Black
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Showy, Edible, Used in commercial fruit productrion
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark Grey, Red
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid (Distinctive smell)
Organ Modifications:
Rhizomes, Stipule, leafy, (deciduous)
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Mildew, Mold, Rust, Wood deformity (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- HORT 2355
Location(s):
- (BUG) BUG garden
- (JPL) Juglans PLanting
- (QRR) Quercus Robur Row planting
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLW) Turf Field Lab West