Pandy’s Garden Center Serviceberry Allegheny

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a somewhat wide range of soils, but prefers moist, well-drained loams.

Amelanchier laevis, commomly called Allegheny serviceberry, is a small, deciduous, usually multi-trunked understory tree or tall shrub which is native to thickets, open woods, sheltered slopes and wood margins in Eastern North America where it typically grows 15-25′ (less frequently to 40′) tall. Features showy, 5-petaled, slightly fragrant, white flowers in drooping clusters which appear in early spring (April) before the leaves. Flowers give way to small, round, edible berries which ripen to dark purplish-black in June (hence the sometimes common name of Juneberry) and resemble blueberries in size, color and taste. Berries are often used in jams, jellies and pies. Finely-toothed, obovate leaves emerge with a bronzish-purple tinge in spring, mature to lustrous dark green in summer and turn red-orange in fall. This tree is primarily distinguished from the very similar Missouri native downy serviceberry (A. arborea) by its hairless foliage, purplish-tinged new growth and tastier (sweeter and juicier) berries.