Trees and shrubs can be planted in the spring or the fall. Serviceberry (Amelanchierspp.) Trees planted in humid climates will require less water than those in dry climates. Inspect the tree for deadwood, diseased wood and crossed branches. Fall is also the time of year plants put energy into their root system growth so this is perfect for establishing new plants. There are several different varieties of serviceberry with variations in height, fruit ripening time, and fall color. Downy Serviceberry. For more information on food preservation check out the upcoming Fill Your Pantry webinar series (, https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0uf-2grjotH9a3CtIIWzlfEpNMdaiwmqmG. Trees and shrubs should be pruned in later winter (February and early March) before they start to form new leaves. Other notes. While all serviceberry fruit is edible, the tastiest fruit is found on the Saskatoon variety. Downy Serviceberry. This is also helpful for picking the berries before the birds get them. have amassed quite a few, including Juneberry, shadbush, shadblow, May cherry, servicetree, and sarvisberry. Occurs most often in open rocky woods, wooded slopes, and bluffs. Edible fruit/nut tree? https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2016-03-30-plant-tree, https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/horticulture-care/fall-planting-trees-and-shrubs, Trees and shrubs should be pruned in later winter (February and early March) before they start to form new leaves. Birds will be your biggest problem. You can also can the berries in juice, syrup, or water or make jam with the berries (, https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE02_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf, ). They do tolerate pruning so you can use several planted together to form a living shrub fence or prune into a tree shape as a single small tree. A. laevis (Allegheny serviceberry). Making it a cold and heat hardy serviceberry. You can freeze services berries for use in smoothies or pies (, ). Care of serviceberries planted in sandy soils requires more frequent watering, as it drains quicker than loamy soil. Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea). Width: 15 ft. 0 in. All are edible, none are poisonous, so if you know it is a Serviceberry, you can try the berry. Sam Bahr, photographer They have been selected to provide a mix of different plant sizes and growing conditions. Although they will grow well in both part shade and full sun, planting in full sun is recommended if you want the best tasting and largest harvest of fruit. Arbor walk #40. The ample flowers and pollen resources attract pollinators in the spring. The most flavorful amelanchier is the Saskatoon serviceberry (A. alnifolia). The serviceberry is in the rose family so it can suffer from the same type of problems as roses do. You should always wash your produce well before consuming it. To avoid serious problems with insects and disease, keep your serviceberry as healthy as possible. Use clean and sharp pruners to remove just what is necessary. If you have newly planted trees (3-5 years) be sure to water your trees during the drier times of the year. ‘Cole’s Select’): 20 feet high and 15 feet wide; upright, spreading habit; orange-red fall color; thick, glossy summer foliage. by Erin Harper, University of Illinois Extension. All are edible, none are poisonous, so if you know it is a Serviceberry, you can try the berry. All of them have small, elliptical leaves with fine teeth along the edges. The flowers last only a few days and give way to juicy berries that resemble blueberries in size, color and flavor. Delicate clusters of white flowers are some of the first to appear in the spring, then plumy-red leaf buds unfurl into fuzzy roundedfoliage. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Mammals that either eat the fruit or browse the twigs and leaves of downy serviceberry include squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, mice, voles, foxes, black bears, deer, and elk. Like other members of the species, it can be pruned to a small tree with a … The flowers are white, fragrant and followed by red-purple fruit. Serviceberries are beautiful native trees with tasty edible fruit. Recently I picked several fruits to eat with cereal and freeze for smoothies. orioles) eat the fruit of Amelanchier species. Forest Prince apple serviceberry  (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Forest Prince’):  20 feet high and 15 feet wide;  oval habit and red-orange fall color. Fall planted trees (September-October) will have time to take up water and establish before winter. They do tolerate pruning so you can use several planted together to form a living shrub fence or prune into a tree shape as a single small tree. Serviceberries are not overly sensitive to soil type but prefer a pH of 6.0 to 7.8. At this point in the year (beginning of June) I would recommend waiting for fall to plant new trees or shrubs. Some people, such as Maritimers, call them shadbush which points to their blooms coming at the same time as the run of an Atlantic coast shad fish. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Downy Serviceberry, Amelanchier arborea, also called Downy Juneberry, is a deciduous, early-flowering, large shrub or small tree which typically grows 15-25 feet tall in cultivation but can reach 40 feet in the wild. Growing Serviceberry for Fruit and Beauty April 7, 2020 7:25 pm The summer fruits of serviceberry are tart and sweet.. Well-loved plants tend to collect lots of descriptive common names. You can freeze services berries for use in smoothies or pies (https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/freeze.html). Growing Serviceberry for Fruit and Beauty April 7, 2020 7:25 pm The summer fruits of serviceberry are tart and sweet.. Well-loved plants tend to collect lots of descriptive common names. Serviceberries are beautiful native trees with tasty edible fruit. On most, the berries are sweet and juicy, some (like the Downy Serviceberry) the fruit is dry and tasteless. Range map for Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea). ‘Princess Diana’):   20 to 25 feet high and 15 to 20 feet wide; upright habit, excellent red fall color. ), also called Juneberry, are native here. Because service berries are native they don’t have many insect pressures or diseases a healthy tree can’t fight through. In fall expect to see the leaves transition to a beautiful hue of Yellow, orange and red. Fruit: Showy, Edible Tolerate: Clay Soil. Serviceberry is considered a derivative of sarvisberry, which in turn comes from a Latin word for a European tree with similar-looking fruit. YES. Serviceberry fruit is delicious straight from the tree and can be used any way you’d use blueberries: smoothies, cobblers, pies, muffins, pancakes, jellies, jams, and ice cream. is a large shrub or small tree which reaches 15-20 feet in height. Serviceberry provides year-round interest in white spring flowers, yellow to red fall foliage, smooth gray bark, and edible purple fruit. The fruits taste similar to blueberry – they are eaten fresh or cooked in pastries or puddings. Plants benefit from a mulch layer to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures. Common English name: Downy serviceberry. Also called juneberries or Saskatoon berries, several serviceberry species are native to Minnesota and other parts of the United States. A member of the genus Amelanchier, serviceberries reward homeowners with a spectacular display of showy white flowers that look like lilacs in the spring, attractive fall foliage and pretty gray bark. The Downy Serviceberry has silvery fuzzy buds in late winter. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Check out this YouTube video for more on tree pruning (, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2ZwfqMCT0E, Serviceberries can be eaten raw; in my opinion, they taste a bit like a pear. The Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) is a large shrub or small tree which reaches 15-20 feet in height. Sign up for our newsletter. Robin Hill apple serviceberry   (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Robin Hill’):  20 to 25 feet high and 12 to 15 feet wide ; upright-oval habit, red to yellow fall color. Princess Diana apple serviceberry  (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Princess Diana’):   20 to 25 feet high and 15 to 20 feet wide; upright habit, excellent red fall color. Description: Plant Size: Generally … No … On most, the berries are sweet and juicy, some (like the Downy Serviceberry) the fruit is dry and tasteless. The fruit contains a few small seeds at the centre, it has a sweet flavour with a hint of apple[1, 2]. Jul 10, 2014 - These small delicious blueberry like fruits are on a Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) tree. ‘Robin Hill’):  20 to 25 feet high and 12 to 15 feet wide ; upright-oval habit, red to yellow fall color. It can be eaten out of hand, used in pies, preserves etc or dried and used like raisins[183]. Native to Canada. This Missouri native tree offers edible small berry-like fruit, usually quickly eaten by birds, that changes color throughout the seasons. Fall colour ranges from orange to rust. Be on the lookout for Japanese beetles, spider mites, aphids and leaf miners, as well as borers. The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs. And don’t forget sorbet, pudding, wine, fruit leather, or syrup. Planting in the spring will give the trees a lot of rainfall and time to get settled before the heat of the summer hits. With proper conditions they will produce Fruits that are edible to humans. You can also can the berries in juice, syrup, or water or make jam with the berries (https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE02_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf). The edible fruit is drier than some other serviceberries, and it is harvested locally for pies and jams, and has been known to be used for wine; they were also used by Native Americans to make bread. Introduction: Downy serviceberry is one of the largest serviceberries, growing up to 30 feet tall.It can grow into a single or multistemmed plant. Names. Small dark red fruit follows in summer. Usually, the birds beat me to the fruit, but this year my tree has such a large crop that I was able to share. The summer can stress the tree in long stretches of no rainfall. Settled before the birds get them treat and growing serviceberry trees looking their best be on Saskatoon... 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