Serviceberry, also known as Juneberry, shadbush or downy serviceberry, has something for everyone, producing early blooms in the spring and tasty berries in June.
Native Americans dried serviceberries and stored them for later consumption, according to Kahanah Farnsworth in her book "A Taste of Nature." They used serviceberry to make pemmican, a mix of dry meat, dry fruit and dry animal fat. This nutritious food is still made, according to Kay Young in her book "Wild Seasons." Historically, trappers adopted it because it was convenient to carry and tasty.
Berries are about the size of blueberries and can be eaten raw, used to prepare refreshments or cooked to make jams, pies and other baked goods. The leaves steeped in boiling water with dry berries make an excellent tea. According to the USDA and studies conducted in Canada, the Saskatoon berries contain anthocyanidins, protein and various minerals including calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium and iron. Their nutritional value is compared to that of blueberries.
Serviceberry is one of the earliest trees blooming in Missouri, with flowers usually appearing before the leaves in late March to early April. It is only beaten by witchhazel (Hamamelis viriginiana), a native shrub that blooms in the fall and as early as January. Serviceberry's characteristic white flowers are different from other members of the same family, like native wild plum, because the flower petals are longer and "hung in elegant clusters" as Guy Sternberg and Jim Wilson put it in their book "Landscaping with Native Trees."
Many native bees, beetles, flies and other insects collect nectar and pollen from the flowers and some butterflies and moths' larva feed on the foliage, as cited by John Hilty on his Illinois Wildflowers website. The berries are eagerly awaited by birds and other wildlife. Don Kurz in his book "Trees of Missouri" states at least 35 birds and 11 mammals feed on the berries including cedar waxwing, hairy woodpecker, red fox Eastern chipmunk and ourselves.
Serviceberry does well from shaded gardens to sunny spots. In Missouri, it is found naturally growing in the understory of open rocky woods and north facing bluffs. It is very easy to spot them in woods when traveling along Highway 63 between Columbia and Jefferson City, mostly in remnant woods on the both sides of the highway. Because the rest of the trees are still dormant, serviceberry flowers seem to glow. It is a beautiful sight when we are all waiting for spring.
A serviceberry tree can grow as a shrub or a tree, from 2 to 30 feet tall, depending on the quality of the site. In shallow soils it tends to be very short. Although 25 or more species of serviceberry are identified, in Missouri the only native species is the downy or common serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), which is reported in about 90 percent of the state according to George Yatskievych (2013) in the "Flora of Missouri, Volume 3." Three other species, introduced from northern states with equally tasty berries are low serviceberry or low shadbush (A. humilis), Saskatoon serviceberry (A. alnifolia) and Canadian serviceberry (A. canadensis).
Saskatoon and Canadian serviceberries are commercially available in local nurseries and used by landscapers. While Saskatoon is native in north central and western states and Canada and Alaska, Canadian is native to Eastern states and Eastern Canada (USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plants Database). In Missouri, you can buy serviceberry trees from Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry, MDC-George White Nursery and Missouri Wildflowers nursery; however, if they are sold out, for a complete list of producers, check the Grow Native! website.
Serviceberries belong in gardens, parks and farms, because they are very attractive in all seasons, producing beautiful flowers in the spring, striking pink-purple color berries in the summer and orange to red foliage in the fall. They can be established in early spring or in the fall.
In you are interested in learning and taste some native edible plants, I will be offering two classes at the Career Center in Columbia: Dining Wild with Native Edibles: Fruits, Nuts and More and Dining Wild with Native Edible: Flowers, Stems and Leaves. For more information check their course catalog at the website: https://cacc.asapconnected.com/default.aspx or send me an email. Classes start on Feb. 26.
Dr. Nadia Navarrete-Tindall is a native plants specialist, educator and independent consultant. She offers training about native edible plants and other topics on native plants, in English and Spanish, as well as consultation on native plants for yards and acreages. She lives in Columbia, Missouri, with her husband Randy and their dog Bonita. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or on her Facebook page "Native Plants and More."