Serviceberry Other Common Names: Common Serviceberry, Downy Serviceberry, Shadbush, Juneberry, Junebush Scientific Name: Amelanchier arborea Native to Alabama: Yes
	Serviceberry Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Julie Makin Click on image to enlarge it

 

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Basic Plant Information
	I am a vascular plant with a woody trunk supporting woody branches, so I am a tree. I do not keep leaves year-round, so I am deciduous. I renew my growth each spring for many seasons, so I am perennial. I can grow 15 - 30 feet high and 15 - 25 feet wide.
Serviceberry flickr - pverdonk Click on image to enlarge it

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Maintenance Notes
Dormant in winter. Typically grows as a multi-stemmed shrub or tree but pruning after flowering can promote a more tree-like growth pattern. Can spread by root suckers (sprouts from the roots around the base of the tree) if they are not removed. When watering, hold hose to base of plant for a count of 5 seconds.  Water should reach all roots.
Avoid sprinkling water on the leaves. Until established, water two times per week during the summer and once per week during the rest of the year.

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Habitat Requirements
This plant prefers:
Full Sun (6+ hours of sun per day) Part Sun/Shade (2-6 hours of sun per day)		Average Watering	Well-drained, Sandy, Loamy, Clay, Acidic, or Moist soil

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Leaf, Flower & Seed Identification
LEAF DESCRIPTION				Serviceberry Leaves Wikimedia - Dcrjsr Click on image to enlarge it
Leaf Characteristics Chart (PDF)
Shape: Ovate	Margin: Serrate	Arrangement: Alternate	Form: Simple
Description:
Up to 4 inches long and 2 inches wide; pointed at the tip and finely toothed along the edges; new leaves are covered in soft hairs which disappear as the leave matures; turn bright orange or red in the fall

FLOWER DESCRIPTION				Serviceberry Flowers Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Stefan Bloodworth Click on image to enlarge it
Flower Shapes Chart (JPG)
Color: White	Shape: Stellate		Bloom Months: Apr - May
Description:
5 white, strap-like petals per flower; sometimes tinted with pink; slightly fragrant; occur in clusters at branch tips before leaves develop

  

SEED DESCRIPTION			Serviceberry Fruit Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it
Type: Fruit - Pome	Description: Reddish purple; round; resemble blueberries; darker purplish when mature; edible and have a sweet taste	Months in Seed: Summer
Plant spreads by:
Seeds and root suckers

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Plant Life Cycle
Plant Life Cycle: All plants start life as a seed.  Seeds contain the new plant (embryo) and the nutrients inside of a protective coat.  They must be dispersed (moved to a new location) Once a seeed lands in a suitable environment, it will begin to grow to form the cotyledon or sprout.  Small roots will begin growing into the soil, and a small leaf is developed. The sprout becomes a seedling, developing a stem and leaves above ground. As the seedling continues to grow, it will develop into a mature adult plant. Mature adult plants are able to produce flowers that can be pollinated.  The pollination process leads to the formation of new seeds, and the process continues.	Dreamstime Click on image to enlarge it

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Quick Fact Sheet (Condensed Species Info)

Plant ID Sign: Ready as-is PDF

Plant ID Sign: Editable Word Doc

QR Code (Links to this Webpage)

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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Plant Database		USDA Plants Database
North Carolina Entension Gardener Plant Toolbox		Alabama Plant Atlas
Missouri Botanical Garden

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