Plant Image Data Base
Amelanchier
Serviceberry or Juneberry
- Form
- deciduous ornamental trees and shrubs,
encompassing several species that are often
difficult to distinguish among
- variable size from medium to large shrubs or
small to medium single- or multi-trunked trees
(depending upon species, hybrids, and cultivars)
- size range from 6' to 30' tall and 4' to 10' wide
among the various species
- upright oval to upright clump growth habit
- slow to medium growth rate
- Culture
- full sun to full shade (partial sun to partial
shade is best,
- prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soils but
will tolerate alkaline soils
- propagated primarily by seeds or rooted stem
cuttings
- Rose Family, with no serious disease or pest
problems for this genus
- Foliage
- alternate, emerging pubescent gray-green and
becoming glabrous medium green
- elliptical to oval and finely serrated
- all but the largest Serviceberries cast a dappled
light shade
- fall color ranging from yellow to orange to red
in October, often spectacular among the
cultivated forms
- Flowers
- as flower bud scales abscise, the swollen flower
buds emerge very pubescent, silver-green, and
ornamentally effective for two to three weeks
before the inflorescences fully open
- 3" vertical to pendulous inflorescences,
having white flowers that are very showy and
effective from one day to one week in mid-April,
before the petals quickly drop as rain falls or
the foliage emerges
- one of the first shrubs or small trees to have
showy flowering in Spring
- Fruits
- round fruits in pendulous clusters exhibit a
color transition from green to yellow to red to
blue to purple to black, with many colors often
being on the same fruit cluster as it ripens
- ripening in June (hence the common name of
Juneberry) and attracting birds and squirrels,
which often eat the fruits
- Purpose
- Serviceberry is one of the best four-season
multistemmed shrubs or single- to multi-trunked
small- to medium-sized trees, with many species
and cultivars to choose from, primarily for
variation in mature size.
- Summary
- Amelanchier is a four-season plant of
great ornamental value for spring flowers, summer
fruits and foliage, fall color, winter
bark/twig/bud character, and fine texture.
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