Saskatoon Berry
Other Names: Pacific Serviceberry, Western Serviceberry, Downy Serviceberry, Juneberry, Western Shadbush
Family: Rosaceae
Native to: Interior North America, Western North America
Eco benefits: attracts pollinators, attracts birds
Natural habitat: understory, forest edge
Shapes: multi-stemmed, clump, upright
Height: 15-25ft
width: 6-8ft
Unique attractions: fall colour, flowers, fruit
Common uses: landscaping, specimen, naturalized plantings
Light: full sun, partial shade, full shade
Soil: moist and fertile, drought tolerant, acid ph, dry
Saskatoon Berry is a shrub to small tree native to western and interior North America. Common in forest understory, it occurs from sea level to elevated areas of the rocky mountains. It can form colonies from Suckering in moist fertile soil, but tolerates a variety of conditions including dry and acidic soils.
White flowers appear in spring followed by berry-like edible fruit (pommes) which ripen in the summer. Similar in appearance to blueberries, the fruit is tart in flavor and favorable for pies. When not picked by humans, they're commonly browsed by mammals including cattle, birds, and bears. Leaves oval to round, toothed toward the ends and turning a long lasting orange and red colour in the fall.
