Amelanchier arborea
Flowers close up AllieKF CC BY 2.0

Serviceberry

Amelanchier species

The serviceberry genus includes several native species in the US and Canada with three found in our region. Serviceberries are confused in the nursery trade and seemingly hybridize easily. Most of what you will find at nurseries will be cultivars from crosses between A. arborea and A laevis which are two of the species that are found regionally. The good news is that they make excellent garden plants and produce delicious, berry-like fruit. The fruit is actually a pome as serviceberries are in the same family as apples. Their white blooms are one of the earliest flowers you see in the local forest with the long white petals making them easy to identify. The fruit makes an excellent pie and they have variable but often striking fall foliage color. One of our best natives in the small tree or large multi-stem shrub category.

Highlights:

  • Seasonal Interest
  • Evergreen
  • Attracts Pollinators
  • Attracts Wildlife
  • Great for Containers
  • Deer Resistant
  • Toxic to Pets

Buy Local.
Plant Local.