June Berry

Amelanchier also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry, juneberry, saskatoon, and chuckley pear is a genus of about 20 species of deciduous-leaved shrubs and small trees in the Rose family (Rosaceae). The Juneberry and like species grow to 0.2–20 m tall; some are small trees, some are multistemmed, clump-forming shrubs, and yet others form extensive low shrubby patches.

Since classifications have varied greatly over the past century, species names are often used interchangeably in the nursery trade. Several natural or horticultural hybrids also exist, and many A. arborea and A. canadensis plants that are offered for sale are actually hybrids, or entirely different species.

The LEAVES are deciduous, cauline, alternate, simple, lanceolate to elliptic to orbiculate, 0.5–10 x 0.5–5.5 cm, thin to coriaceous, with surfaces above glabrous or densely tomentose at flowering, and glabrous or more or less hairy beneath at maturity.

The inflorescences are terminal, with 1–20 flowers, erect or drooping, either in clusters of one to four FLOWERS or in racemes with 4–20 flowers. The flowers have five white (rarely somewhat pink, yellow, or streaked with red), linear to orbiculate petals, 2.6–25 mm long, with the petals in one species (A. nantucketensis) often andropetalous (bearing apical microsporangia adaxially).

The FRUIT is a berry-like pome, red to purple to nearly black at maturity, 5–15 mm diameter, insipid to delectably sweet, maturing in summer. Juneberry refers to the fruits of certain species becoming ripe in June. Propagation is by seed, divisions and grafting.

The BARK is gray or less often brown, and in tree species smooth or fissuring when older. The WOOD is brown, hard, close-grained, and heavy. The heartwood is reddish-brown, and the sapwood is lighter in color. It can be used for tool handles and fishing rods.

Amelanchier plants are valued horticulturally, and their fruits are important to many families of WILDLIFE including birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.

The flowers appear in early spring, “when the shad run” according to tradition (leading to names such as “shadbush”). The fruit of several species are excellent to eat raw, tasting somewhat like a blueberry, strongly accented by the almond-like flavour of the seeds.