PLANT NOTES: Serviceberry

A harbinger of spring, Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is the earliest white-flowered shrub to bloom in our area, presenting 5-petaled, star-shaped, lightly fragranced blossoms in small clusters along its graceful stems. This erect to spreading deciduous shrub grows from 4-25 feet tall and can spread as much as 14 feet wide.

A good choice for small yards due to a slow growth pattern and non-invasive roots, Serviceberry prefers moist, well-drained acidic soil but tolerates many soil types and drought conditions once established. It grows well in full sun or partial shade. Regular pruning is not necessary, but trimming suckers at the base annually helps maintain a pleasing shrub or small tree shape. Both native and hybrid Serviceberry varieties provide year-round interest with abundant flowers in spring, yellow to reddish fall foliage and edible purple fruit. A pollinator attractor, Serviceberry also serves as the larval host to the swallowtail butterfly.

Other common names for Serviceberry include Shadbush, after the shad runs in streams during early spring, and Saskatoon, a Cree name. The largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada, is named Saskatoon after the plant.

Native Americans and mountain men used serviceberries in pemmican, a staple survival food. The berries helped flavor and preserve this form of jerky made of meat and fat. Ripe fruit can be eaten fresh or used in jams, syrups and pies. Serviceberry wood provided Native Americans with arrow and spear shafts and digging sticks. Boiled branches yielded a tea for treating colds.

Small purple pome-style fruits produce pendulous clusters in early summer in coastal areas and late summer further inland. Birds eat the berries before they are ripe, and deer, elk and rabbits eat leaves and twigs. Though it is a common browse species, it is not a favorite and, in fact, can be poisonous if consumed in too great a quantity.

Check out native Serviceberry in the Young Forest habitat at the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum. Open to the public, parking for the Arboretum is at 611 S. Ella Ave. or on the street.

Serviceberry is found on page 103 of the KNPS publication, Landscaping with Native Plants in the Idaho Panhandle, available at local bookstores and the Bonner County History Museum. Native Plant Notes are created by the Kinnikinnick Native Plant Society. To learn more about KNPS and the North Idaho Native Plant Arboretum, visit www.nativeplantsociety.org.