Amelanchier alnifolia

Amelanchier alnifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Subfamily: Maloideae Genus: Amelanchier Species: A. alnifolia
Binomial name
Amelanchier alnifolia (Nutt.) Nutt.

Saskatoon berry flowering

Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoonberry, Saskatoon, Serviceberry or Juneberry), is a species of Amelanchier native to North America in Alaska, across most of Canada from Yukon south and eastward to British Columbia and western Quebec, and in the western and north central United States south to northern California, Utah and northern Iowa. It grows from sea level in the north of the range, up to 2,600 m altitude in California and 3,400 m in the Rocky Mountains.^[1][2][3]

It is a deciduous shrub or small tree that can grow to 1–8 m (rarely to 10 m) in height. Its growth form spans from suckering and forming colonies to clumped. The leaves are oval to nearly circular, 2-5 cm long and 1–4.5 cm broad, with margins dentate mostly above the middle and a 0.5–2 cm petiole. The flowers are #000000, about 2-3 cm across; they appear on racemes of 3–20 together in early spring while the new leaves are still expanding. The fruit is a small purple pome 5-15 mm diameter, ripening in early summer.^[2][3]

There are three varieties:^[3][4]

• Amelanchier alnifolia var. alnifolia. Northeastern part of the species' range.^[5]
• Amelanchier alnifolia var. pumila (Nutt.) A.Nelson. Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada.^[6][7]
• Amelanchier alnifolia var. semiintergrifolia (Hook.) C.L.Hitchc. Pacific coastal regions, Alaska to northwestern California.^[8][9]

[edit] Cultivation and uses

Seedlings are planted with 13-20 ft (4-6 m) between rows and 1.5-3 ft (0.5-1 m) between plants. An individual bush may bear fruit 30 or more years.^[10]

Saskatoons are adaptable to most soil types with exception of poorly drained or heavy clay soils lacking organic matter. Shallow soils should be avoided, especially if there is a high or erratic water table. Winter hardiness is exceptional but frost can damage blooms as late as May. Large amounts of sunshine are needed for fruit ripening.^[11][12]

Sweet in taste, the fruits have long been eaten by Canada's Aboriginal people as pemmican, a preparation of dried meat to which saskatoon berries are added as flavor and preservative. They are also often used in pies, jams, wines, cider, beers and sugar-infused berries similar to dried cranberries used for cereals, trail mix and snack foods.^{[13][14][15][16]}

In 2004, the British Food Standards Agency suspended saskatoon berries from retail sales pending safety testing, a ban that was eventually lifted after pressure from the European Union.^[17][18][19]

[edit] Etymology

The name derives from the Cree inanimate noun misâskwatômina (misâskwatômin NI sg saskatoonberry, misâskwatômina NI pl saskatoonberries). The city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is named after this plant.

[edit] References