Downy Serviceberry Amelanchier

Serviceberry is in the Roseaceae (rose) family and native to Europe, Africa, Northern America, and Temperate Asia. It is one of the first shrubs to flower in the spring, just before the dogwoods. It acquired the common name serviceberry because it blooms as soon as the ground starts to thaw, when people were able to dig graves and bury their dead after the winter. It also derives the common names of shadbush and shadblow from the fact that the masses of flowers tend to open at the same time that shad ascend the rivers in early spring to spawn. 

Serviceberry is a multitrunked shrub or small tree with a rounded crown and grows 15 feet tall. In the wild, it can grow significantly larger than in the landscape. It forms root suckers, and if they are allowed to grow, it will result in the plant growing as a shrub rather than a tree. Over time, the suckers will cause the plant to form a small colony. Pruning should be done in the fall in order to avoid excessive loss of sap.

It does well in a broad range of areas, from lawns, patios, and ponds to meadows and woodlands. Include it in edible, native, pollinator, or drought-tolerant gardens as an accent plant, shade tree, or screening hedge.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Fire blight and fungal leaf spot may affect the plant’s overall health. Rust and powdery mildew are also issues. It becomes chlorotic in alkaline soils and does not tolerate wind. The flowers, and later fruits, dropping on the ground can require high maintenance. Rabbits will often destroy the seedlings.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.