Scientific Name
Amelanchier arborea
Though serviceberry trees, sometimes called juneberry, occur naturally in Europe and Asia, most species are found on the North American continent, where they’re native to every state of the U.S. except Hawaii. However, because of the similarity of many types and their easy hybridization, the number of serviceberry species is hotly debated by botanists, so it’s better not to become fixated on identifying trees to the species level, especially given the large number of cultivars offered in the nursery trade.
Serviceberry has become popular in landscaping over the past few decades because it fills the need for an adaptable small (15 to 25 feet in height) ornamental tree that does well in full sun. They are highly adaptable to many environmental conditions and are as apt to be multi-stemmed as single-trunk trees. Their principal attributes are their white flowers in mid-spring that are effective for about a week and the attractive fall foliage coloration (variable in hue, ranging from orange to deep red). The fruit, apple-like on a small scale, ripens over a period of several weeks in June, turning from green to red and dark purple. Birds are very fond of the fruit, but they sometimes must compete with humans for it, since the fruits make good pies and jams. The fruits can range in taste from insipid to delectably sweet. There are many serviceberry cultivars available; the most popular one may be ‘Autumn Brilliance.’