Specimen Spotlight: Serviceberry

Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)

Saskatoon berries and
foliage - Source

Serviceberries provide a nice snack while hiking in the mountains around here where they grow natively. Many people probably have not even thought about the potential gained by including serviceberries in the yard. They start small but can grow into small trees if left to themselves. Here are the other things that I have learned about serviceberries.

• The fruits, when ripe, are dark purple with a bluish bloom on them that children like to meticulously rub off as a means of entertainment prior to eating. Not that the bloom affects flavor in any way. It is just something that I have noticed many children doing. :-)
• The birds and other animals like the berries, too. The birds seem to leave them alone until late in winter when other food sources are gone. I don't know if this is because they really do not like them or if the birds know that the berries, albeit somewhat withered, will store on the plant until needed.
• On that note, the fruit still tastes really good when it ripened fully and then slowly dried out on the branch. In our climate at least, the serviceberry fruit does not go bad when left unpicked. It just dries up, condensing its flavor and sweetness in a pleasant way.
• The fruit tastes best when the plant has had plenty of moisture, but the plant can handle drought pretty well when it is well established.
• In the spring, around April or early May, the plants will put on white blossoms that are a great early food source for any insects that may be out looking for a meal.
• It likes full sun, but I have seen it growing just fine in dappled shade.
• Pioneers used serviceberries in pies and jam. Native Americans ate them raw, dried like raisins, or as part of their pemmican. Everybody of that time ate them when they had them.
• The hard serviceberry wood was used almost universally, according to the book Wild Berries of the West, to make arrows, spears, and a myriad of other items.
• The fruit can be used to make a purple dye.
• It provides bird habitat and, if you are willing to share, food.
• It fits the shrub niche nicely when trying to determine what plants to add to a plant guild.
• Chicken friendly!

References

• Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening, pg. 91, 107
• The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants, pg. 207-213
• Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods, pg. 206-207
• The Permaculture Handbook: Garden Farming for Town and Country, pg. 329
• Wild Berries of the West, pg. 122-125
• The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre!, pg. 116, 120
• Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture, pg. 164, 165, 169, 198-200, 218, 221
• Free-Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful, Chicken-Friendly Yard, pg. 55, 132