Amelanchier laevis

(A type of Saskatoon berries)

Cold hardiness zone 4 (can withstand cold to -30° F)

Soil PH: pH 5.0 to 7.4

Watering needs: Average

Blooming Season: Mid-spring

Harvest season/regularity: Early-mid summer, and it fruits every year.

Pollination for berries: Serviceberry is self-fertile, and will produce fruit well even without the presence of another serviceberry.

Age for fruit: 2-4 years

Size at maturity: 15-40 feet tall and wide.

Average Lifespan: 30-40 years

Growth rate: Medium.

Preferred habitat:Allegheny serviceberry loves the cool, lightly moist, short-season edges of alpine forests.

Sun needs: Though serviceberry does just fine in full sun, it also tolerates shade well, making it an ideal understory fruit-producer.

•   Cold hardiness zones: 4-8
•   Soil PH: Prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 5.5-7.0).
•   Watering needs: Medium, tolerates some drought once established.
•   Food forest layer: Understory tree/shrub layer.
•   Which parts of the plant are eaten as food: Edible berries.
•   Blooming Season: Early spring.
•   Harvest season/regularity: Early to mid-summer.
•   Fruiting age: Begins fruiting within 2-4 years after planting.
•   Age of maturity (full size and peak fruiting): Reaches full size in about 10-20 years, depending on conditions.
•   Average mature yield: Varies, but can produce several pounds of berries per mature tree.
•   Pollination for Fruit: Self-fertile, but cross-pollination by insects increases yield.
•   Size at maturity: Typically 15-25 feet tall, can reach up to 40 feet in ideal conditions.
•   Sun needs: Full sun to partial shade.
•   Preferred habitat: Well-drained, moist soils; often found in woodland settings.
•   Growth rate (vigor): Moderate to fast.
•   Natural reproductive rate (and methods): Moderate; through seeds and suckering.
•   Propagation method: Seed, softwood cuttings, or division of suckers.
•   Average life span: Can live for several decades.
•   Good companion plants: Compatible with a variety of woodland plants, ferns, and wildflowers.
•   Plant family: Rosaceae.
•   Taproot: No, has a fibrous root system.
•   Predators: Susceptible to cedar-apple rust, fire blight, and certain insects like borers.
•   Other common problems/solutions: Prune to improve air circulation and reduce disease risk.

Notes:

•   Ecological functions/uses: Provides habitat and food for wildlife, especially birds. Attractive spring flowers beneficial for pollinators.
•   Food uses: Berries are sweet and can be eaten fresh or used in jams, jellies, and baked goods.
•   Food Flavor/Taste: Berries have a sweet, mild flavor, sometimes compared to blueberries.
•   Cautions: No significant toxicity, but ensure correct identification as some Amelanchier species may have slightly different characteristics.

Notes:

If you’ve never tried a serviceberry, the simplest way to think of it is a tree that grows blueberries. Obviously they’re not truly blueberries, but though a little more reddish, they taste similar enough that they would probably fool most people. Some who have eaten both blueberries and serviceberries suggest that they like the serviceberry taste more. Likely anything you would do with blueberries could be done with serviceberries. The biggest difference between blueberry and serviceberry is that serviceberries grow much more easily in places lacking the strongly acidic soils required for blueberries. Yet though it doesn’t need it, it can tolerate rather moist and/or acidic soils.

The Allegheny serviceberry is unique to other serviceberries because instead of growing 8-15 feet tall in a bush-like form, Allegheny gets 30-40 feet tall, shaped like other full-sized fruit trees.