Serviceberry

Did you know

• Serviceberry blooms incredibly early — sometimes in March — and the white flowers traditionally signaled to Appalachian settlers that the ground had finally thawed enough for funeral 'services' to be held for those who died over winter.
• It's also called Juneberry because the small purple berries that follow ripen in June, tasting like a cross between blueberries and almonds.
• Native peoples and early settlers prized the berries; the Cree word 'misâskwatômina' became 'saskatoon' — and the city of Saskatoon, Canada is named after this fruit.
• Serviceberries are one of the very best small native trees for wildlife — birds devour the berries, and the spring flowers feed early-emerging native bees.
• The wood is extremely hard and was once used to make tool handles, arrows, and the prized 'sneakup arrows' of Indigenous hunters.

Color meanings

Uses

• Specimen trees
• Native landscaping
• Edible fruits
• Wildlife gardens