Serviceberry, Saskatoon, Juneberry, shadblow, (among many common names) is a widespread and variable shrub or small tree. A. alnifolia, the species found in the Puget Lowlands, ranges in a widening triangle from Southern California through the West, and over most of Canada. Because of its variability, some authors have split A. alnifolia into several species. Hitchcock and Cronquist list five varieties, but note that “features vary independently rather than in tandem.” A. alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia is the subspecies
found here in the Central Puget Sound region.
Saskatoon berries are grown commercially in Canada and in some parts of the US, and their nutritional properties are similar to blueberries, leading some people to advertise them as a “superfood.” In addition to eating the berries (fresh or dried,) Native Americans used them as a sweetener and preservative for other foods. The twigs were made into medicinal tea, and the wood was used for combs and arrows, or whenever a hard, straight wood was needed.
Many varieties of wildlife partake of the fruit of the serviceberry. Ungulates (especially elk) browse the twigs, though their high cyanide content can be deadly if no other food is available. Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds nectar on the flowers, and it is a caterpillar host plant to pale tiger swallowtails, lorquin’s admirals, hairstreaks and elfins.
With white flowers in the spring, delicate bluish-green foliage, colorful berries, and yellow to orange fall color, A. alnifolia may be used as a specimen in a small garden, and it is a welcome addition to a naturalized border. It tolerates some shade, but full sun will maximize fruit production. It can be propagated by transplanting suckers, layering, softwood cuttings or seed, though seed viability is reported to be low. It is widely used in restoration sites because of its value to wildlife, drought tolerance, and soil-binding capabilities.