Alderleaf serviceberry

Synonyms: Saskatoon, Juneberry, Aronia alnifolia Nutt. (1818), Pyrus alnifolia (Nutt.) Sprengel (1825), Amelanchier ovalis Hooker (1834), A. canadensis var. alnifolia (Nutt.) Torrey et Gray (1840), A. montana Hort. (1894), A. cuneata Piper (1900), A. florida Piper (1906), A. utahensis Piper (1906), A. alnifolia var. typica Schneider (1906), A. alnifolia var pumila Schneider (1906), A. macrocarpa Lundl. (1913), A. leptodendron Lundl. (1918), A. carrii Rudberg (1931), A. humilis Raup (1936), A. alnifolia subsp. florida (Lundl.) Hulten (1973).

Alderleaf serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nutt. ex M.Roem.) – a species of shrubs of the genus Amelanchier, subfamily Maloideae, family Rosaceae. It was first described in 1847 in Familiarum Naturalium Regni Vegetabilis Synopses Monographicae seu Enumeratio Omnium Plantarum hucusque Detectarum Secundum Ordines Naturales, Genera et Sepcies Digestarum, Additas Diagnosibus, Synonymis, Novarumque vel Minus Cognitarum Descriptionibus Cu 3:147. (Nutt., J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 7:22. 1834, nom. nudum). In cultivation since 1918.

The range extends across the western part of North America: Canada – Yukon and British Columbia; USA – Alaska and the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions from Washington and Oregon to Nebraska and Colorado. It grows in mountains up to 2600 m above sea level in northern California and up to 3400 m above sea level in the Rocky Mountains.

It is a deciduous multi-stemmed shrub or small tree 1–8 m (rarely up to 10 m) tall. Crown loose, broadly ovoid, bark smooth, dark gray. Forms numerous root suckers. Shoots reddish-brown, at first softly and felty-pubescent, later glabrous.

Leaves oval to round, 2–5 cm long, 1–4.5 cm wide. Leaf apex elongated or rounded, base oval or slightly rounded, sometimes cordate. Margin coarsely serrated or serrate to halfway, with 5–10 large teeth on each side (2–5 per 1 cm), with 8–13 veins, dark green above, lighter below. Leaf firm, initially felted beneath at the beginning of the growing season, then glabrous, in autumn yellow-orange. Petioles thin.

Flowers white, fragrant, 12–20 mm in diameter, arranged 10–15 in erect dense racemes 3–6 cm long, with glabrous staminal filaments. 5 pistils (rarely 4) nearly half fused. Petals obovate or ovate, obtuse, 6–10 mm long and 2–3 mm wide. At the base of the petal on a short claw there is a small tuft of hairs. Blooms in early spring, simultaneously with the emergence of new leaves, for 2–3 weeks.

Fruits – spherical to obovoid-pyriform purple berries with seeds, 5–15 mm in diameter, weighing 0.41–0.65 g, with a waxy coating. Sweet, edible, rich in vitamins and microelements. Ripen in early summer in coastal areas and in mid-summer in continental climates.

Hybrids: Amelanchier alnifolia × Sorbus scopulina Greene — × Amelasorbus jackii Rehder

Cultivars: Amelanchier alnifolia 'Regent', Amelanchier alnifolia "Obelisk"

Hardiness zone: zone 3 (-45°C).

Site: Undemanding to soil and moisture, grows well on calcareous soils, prefers fresh or moist, fertile soils, tolerates temporary drought, withstands slight salinity; resistant to diseases. Does not tolerate poorly drained heavy clay soils lacking organic matter.

Planting: plant 0.5–1 m apart from each other, with 4–6 m between rows.

Care: consists of watering during dry periods and regular removal of weeds under the bush. In the first year after planting it is possible to fertilize with peat or humus. The above-ground part of the shrub should be covered with the mixture. After one year about 50 g of nitrate fertilizer (saltpeter) can be applied to the soil. It is recommended to alternate the application of chemical and organic fertilizers from year to year.

Pruning: The shrub is formed as a multi-stemmed bush, which is produced by strong basal shoots. Weak shoots should be cut off. Initially leave all strong new shoots, but from the third year after planting it is sufficient to keep 2–3 new shoots. As a result, the bush should include about 12–15 branches of different ages. Thereafter, pruning consists of removing excess basal shoots, diseased and weak shoots, and broken branches. Pruning also helps to adjust the plant height, which facilitates harvest.

Propagation: the simplest method of propagation is by layering. Suitable for bushes from two years of age. The top layer of soil is dug up and fertilizers are added. The lower shoot is layered and fixed in the ground. Then, after the first shoots appear, they are half-covered with humus. In the next year, in autumn, the layers can be transplanted to their permanent location. Also propagated by grafting onto two-year-old rowan and by seeds sown in a cold frame or on a bed (must be covered for the winter) in autumn. Seedlings appear in spring.

Uses: Used in solitary and group plantings, for urban landscaping. Berries are eaten fresh and used to make jam, pies, wine, cider, and also as a seasoning for meat.