Plant Details

Amelanchier arborea

Common Serviceberry

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Common Serviceberry is a wildlife-friendly, large deciduous shrub. Drooping clusters of slightly fragrant, white flowers bloom before the leaves...

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Description:

Common Serviceberry is a wildlife-friendly, large deciduous shrub. Drooping clusters of slightly fragrant, white flowers bloom before the leaves appear, March-April. Its other common name, Shadbush, refers to the fact that the flowers bloom around the same time shad fish return upriver in early spring. The flowers are followed by edible, berry-like fruits, which turn purple when ripe; the berries are often used in jams or baked goods. The flowers provide nectar for bees and have special value to native bees. The berries are consumed by a variety of birds and mammals. The fall foliage is attractive as it changes from yellow to sunset-orange to dark red. The ornamental bark of mature plants is smooth and gray with longitudinal stripes. Use Common Serviceberry as a specimen, or plant it in masses in shrub borders, wildlife gardens, or along edges of ponds or other water features.

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