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Serviceberry autumn brilliance fruit taste11/29/2023 ![]() They occasionally serve as host to caterpillars of viceroy, striped hairstreak and Canadian tiger swallowtail butterflies. The small, oval, finely serrated leaves emerge in spring with a reddish-purple tinge and mature to medium green. If one can beat the birds, the berries can be eaten raw or used for jams, jellies, baked goods and wine.Ĭome fall, the tree is in its full glory with red, yellow and orange coloring its leaves. Songbirds relish the berries and will eat them before they completely ripen. ![]() ![]() The berries of Allegheny serviceberry are rich in essential minerals, vitamin C and antioxidants and juicier and sweeter than other Amelanchier species. The berries resemble blueberries in size, color and taste. In summer, its berries change from green to red to blue to purplish-black, with more than one color appearing on the same fruit cluster. Its delicately fragrant white flowers with five ribbonlike petals appear in dropping clusters in April and provide an early source of nectar for bees and other pollinators. Noted for its four seasons of interest, Allegheny serviceberry is one of the first small trees to bloom in spring. The name Juneberry refers to when the berries start to ripen, and shadbush and shadblow to the flowers blooming with the spring-spawning runs of shad fish in brooks and streams. Another idea is that the flowers marked when the ground had thawed and graves could be dug. Serviceberry’s flowers marked the time when circuit-riding preachers could begin their rounds again and perform these ceremonies. Serviceberry goes back to when winter travel was difficult, and weddings, baptisms and memorial services were delayed until spring. Depending on where they grow, they may be called serviceberry, Juneberry, shadbush or shadblow. ![]() There’s much folklore about the common names for them in this country. Of those, 20 are found in the United States, with at least one native to every state except Hawaii. There are about 25 species of Amelanchier worldwide. Such a tree is Amelanchier laevis, the Allegheny serviceberry. If a tree also has four-season interest, it’s certainly one to consider for the home landscape. April might bring showers and May flowers, but it also brings bloom to some of Ohio’s native trees. ![]()
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