Serviceberry Spotting

A Serviceberry next to Pennycup Coffee in North Asheville.

Amelanchier, one of the first woody plants in the mountains to flower, goes by many names: Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, and others. "Serviceberry" came about because the flowers show after the last frost; this would let folks know when the ground was no longer frozen and they could dig a grave deep enough for a funeral service.

These shrubs can be trees as well and are littered throughout the mountains and downtown Asheville. They are on Asheville's approved contractor planting list so you can spot many serviceberries in town. I have seen some as tall as 60+ feet and was thoroughly impressed when I figured out which tree I had found! It is rare to find them that tall and are more likely around 30 feet.

The flowers provide an important early source of nectar for pollinators and berries consumed by a wide variety of birds and mammals, including humans. If you want to harvest some of your own they will arrive around June as the name "Juneberry" implies. They will not be there long as the birds and other wildlife seem to pick the bushes clean every year.

I recommend looking for these beautiful flowering plants on the Parkway and at other higher elevations than Asheville if you've missed the ones in town. I found a new appreciation for serviceberry when I realized how many of them are out there and how important for the local ecosystem they are. The berries taste similar to blueberries and are definitely worth a try if you've never had one. Get out and look for serviceberries. I bet there's one closer than you think.

— Dan Stouch

ISA-Certified Arborist, Crew Leader, Smart Feller Tree Works