Description
Deciduous, early spring-flowering, North American tree
Description: Delicate white flowers appear as the leaves emerge, giving the plant a light, airy appearance; edible, maroon-purple fruit form in early summer; finely toothed, elliptic leaves turn orange-red in fall
Habit: Small tree or dense, multi-stemmed shrub; grows 15 to 30 feet high and up to 20 feet wide
Culture: Prefers full sun to light shade and moist, rich loam with added organic matter
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 4
This small native tree, also called Shadblow Serviceberry or Thicket Serviceberry, is in the rose family. The blueberry-like fruits appear in early summer and are used in jams, jellies, and pies; they are also attractive to birds. This species was known in Europe by the mid-18th century and plant explorer John Clayton noted Shadbush in his Flora Virginica of 1736. Philadelphia nurseryman John Bartram listed several species, including A. canadensis, in his broadside catalog of 1783.
