Saskatoon

Saskatoon (Amelanchier)

Also known as: serviceberry, june-berry

Bloom time: May – June

Additional photos:

• Amelanchier before first bloom
  credit: Elisabeth Beaubien
• Amelanchier almost mid bloom
  credit: Elisabeth Beaubien
• Amelanchier after mid bloom
  credit: Elisabeth Beaubien

General:

• Saskatoon plants vary from shrub to small tree size.
• A single stem may be less than 30 cm high, whereas a clump of small trees may be over 6 metres tall.

Leaves & Twigs: Leaves are oval-shaped, and slightly longer (about 2-6 cm) than they are wide. In the West, leaves are usually rounded at the tip and straight across at the base, with coarse “teeth” on the upper half. In the East, leaves are pointed with teeth all around the edges.

Flowers & Fruits

• The flowers appear in clusters of five to 11 white flowers, often before the leaves are fully opened.
• Small clusters of reddish-purple to black berries develop in early summer.

Habitat: Especially common in the West, saskatoon plants prefer well-drained, coarse-textured soils. In the East, these shrubs often are found in wetter soils.

PlantWatch Pointers: Tag a typical shrub for observation.

To Observe:

• First bloom: when the first flowers are open on the observed shrub (3 places).
• Mid bloom: when 50% of the flowers are open on the observed shrub.

Distribution Map:

This species is monitored in:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• Northwest Territories
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Saskatoon berries were the most important plant food used by the Blackfoot First Nations peoples of the Prairies.