A.k.a. Juneberry and shadbush. A showy, adaptable, compact tree/large shrub with edible berries and blooms important for early spring pollinators! Hosts the red spotted purple and striped hairstreak butterflies and, with nutritious berries that mature in early summer, is excellent for providing food when many birds are feeding nestlings. Plants sucker at their bases, but do not runner. Can be trained as a ‘tree’ or a multi-trunked bush, but unpruned plants may be less stressed. Plants self pollinate, but having more than one plant may encourage better fruit set.

Pollination: 2+ individuals recommended. 

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade, Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet Mesic, Mesic, Dry Mesic, Dry

Soil Type: Loam, Sandy Loam, Rocky Loam

Height: 10’-30’

Width: 6’-30’

Bloom Color: White

Bloom Time: Apr-May

Fruit: Edible red berries ripen in early summer (often June).

Fall Color: Red, Yellow, Orange

Root Type: Branching

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract bees and flies. Hosts the striped hairstreak and red spotted purple butterflies, a few moths, beetles, weevils, and smaller insects. Berries are eaten by a wide variety of birds including cedar waxwings and orioles, as well as mammals like mice, squirrels, and chipmunks. Often browsed by deer.

Notes: Easily distinguished from other Amelanchier by the fine fuzz on the underside of new leaves. Berries are edible and vary in flavor, but are generally less desirable than Allegheny serviceberries.