• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Cure Nursery

Native Plants of the Southeast

  • Home
  • Native Plant Library
    • Search by Plant Characteristics
    • Search by Scientific Name
    • Search by Common Names
  • Availability & Pricing
  • Resources
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Amelanchier canadensis
Serviceberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Canadian Serviceberry, Chuckleberry, Currant-tree, Juneberry, Sugarplum, Thicket Serviceberry

Photo by

The Shadblow Serviceberry is a large shrub in the Rose family native to moist woods in the Eastern seabord of the U.S. and up into Canada. In NC it is found in counties of the lower Piedmont and Coastal plain. Serviceberry is beloved by native plant lovers for its many fine features: in spring it is covered with delicate, white, fragrant flowers which appear in racemes at the ends of branches before the leaves; in summer it produces beautiful, edible red berries which eventually mature to blue/black; in the fall it finishes the season with a very impressive golden/orange foliar display. In addition to providing nectar for the earliest pollinators of the season, Serviceberry’s fruit support many birds, including goldfinches, chickadees, cardinals and robins. Serviceberry is versatile, thriving in many soil and water conditions. It is a bit slow to flower, but it is well worth the wait.

Last Updated: May 21, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medik
Common Names: Serviceberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Canadian Serviceberry, Chuckleberry, Currant-tree, Juneberry, Sugarplum, Thicket Serviceberry
Family Name: Rosaceae (Rose Family)
Plant Type: Tree / Shrub
Uses: Shrub Border, Woodland Garden, Naturalizing, Specimen
Light Requirement: Full sun, Partial/sunny, Partial/shady
Moisture Requirement: Medium, Moist well drained
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Bloom Times: Apr, May
Flower Color: White
Special Characteristics: Attracts bees, Good fall color, Attracts birds, Edible fruit (in jams), Showy fruit, Good for hedges, Good wildlife cover/habitat

Additional Info

Habit: Large shrub/small tree.
Height: 25-30'
Spread: 15-20'
Growth Rate: Moderate
Soil Conditions: Tolerates a wide range of soils, prefers moist, rich, organic, well drained soil.
Leaves: Three-inch, oval, finely toothed leaves with downy undersides and with bright yellow/gold/orange fall color
Flowers (or reproductive structures): Very early blooming; white, showy, drooping racemes of 5-petaled, self-fertile blooms, somewhat fragrant; emerge at the ends of branches before the leaves.
Fruit: edible, blueberry-like pomes, but bright red and edible in summer, maturing to dark purple/black if still on the bush
Natural Distribution: Wet meadows and streambanks in Eastern Canada and coastal states of the U.S. around to Alabama and Tennessee
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 10
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FAC
Pollination: Bees
Wildlife Connections: Many bees; American Goldfinch, Tufted Titmice, Brown Thrashers, Bluejays, Carolina Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, American Robins.
Cultural Notes: The common name "Serviceberry" arose because in colonial times, this shrub was observed to bloom when the ground was warm enough to be worked for burying those who had died over the winter.
Propagation: People have been known to dig up seedlings from under established plants.
Other Notes: Fall color is fabulous tangerine orange; pair with fall blooming blue asters and Solidago caesia.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov
View All Plant Availability & Pricing

Footer

contact us

facebook.com/curenursery
curenursery@gmail.com
Office/Jen/Bill:  919-542-6186

Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

our hours

Cure Nursery operates by appointment only. Call us or email us to place an order for pick up or to arrange a time to come visit the nursery.

Copyright © 2022 Cure Nursery · All Rights Reserved · Resources · Website by Tomatillo Design