Maryland Native Plants for Spring
Amelanchier canadensis
Amelanchier canadensis, Serviceberry is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree. In the early spring, white blooms emerge. The blooms are followed by edible berries. The berries mature from green to red to dark purple/ black in the summer. The berries and leaves provide excellent orange/red fall color. The tree is tolerant in a wide range of soil types. It can be planted as a yard specimen or in woodland areas.
LGS Notes:
I love seeing the white blooms of serviceberry in the spring and eating the berries in the early summer. I use this plant on the corners of foundation beds to add height or in the middle or on edges in pollinator beds. This is one of my favorite native shrubs/small tree. ~Lauren
Latin Name: Amelanchier canadensis
Common Name: Serviceberry
Type: Tree
Family: Rosaceae
Native Range: Eastern North America
Zone: 4 to 8
Height: 25.00 to 30.00 feet
Spread: 15.00 to 20.00 feet
Bloom Time: April to May
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Flowering Tree
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy, edible
Tolerate: Clay soil
(Information from Missouri Botanical Garden)
Cultivar of Amelanchier grandiflora
Amelanchier x grandiflora is a cultivar of serviceberry and hybrid of downy serviceberry and Allegheny serviceberry. It is grown as a small multi-trunked understory tree or as a large shrub. Just like the straight species, white flowers emerge in early summer, and edible fruits follow in the summer. The leaves offer great color as they turn red and orange in the fall.
Latin Name: Amelanchier grandiflora
Common Name: Apple serviceberry
Type: Tree
Family: Rosaceae
Native Range: Eastern North America
Zone: 4 to 9
Height: 15.00 to 25.00 feet
Spread: 15.00 to 25.00 feet
Bloom Time: April
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Flowering Tree
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy, edible
Tolerate: Clay soil
(Information from Missouri Botanical Garden)
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