Sarvis-tree Amelanchier arborea

Amelanchier arborea, or Serviceberry, is a deciduous tree that typically grows 15 to 25 feet tall with a narrow, rounded form; however, it can reach heights of 40' in the wild. The trunk can range from 6 inches for a small tree to 18 inches. It is typically found growing ion wooded slopes and cliffs, open woods, wooded bluffs, rocky woodlands, limestone glades, riverbanks, and edges of swamps. It is a North Carolina native and can be found throughout the state, but does best on mountain slopes. It is not frost tender.

It is a multistemmed small tree or if the root suckers are not removed, it will attain a more shrubby like form. In the spring, fragrant 5-petaled, white flowers mature.  The flowers are followed by leaves that are alternate with a finely toothed margin and hairy underside. The bark is smooth when young. As the tree ages, long, vertical splits and furrows develop. The small tree produces a red to purple berry that matures in the late summer to fall.  The berries have some resemblance to blueberries. It is sometimes planted as an ornamental for the showy clusters of flowers and is commonly sold in the nursery trade as Amelanchier canadensis, although canadensis is, in fact, a shrubby East Coast species.

Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems:  Insects include leaf miner, pear sawfly, spider mites, aphids, peach borer, and scale insects.  Diseases affecting the plant are cedar apple rust, glomerella leaf spot-fruit rot, fire blight, powdery mildew, witches' broom, and leaf blight.  This plant is slow to root after transplant. Its suckering habit may also lead to the plant being somewhat invasive. 

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

More information on Amelanchier.