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Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener Association

10 hours ago

Incorporating Native Plants in Your Garden – Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) by EMG JennServiceberry is blooming all over my property right now, so I thought this would be a good native to talk about this week! There are actually four different types of serviceberry, and they can be difficult to distinguish from each other botanically: Downy, Shadbush (A. canadensis), Allegheny (A. laevis), and Apple (A.x grandiflora, a cross between A. arborea and A. laevis; multiple cultivars). Downy, or Common Serviceberry is the largest of the four, and grows into a small tree or large shrub. It is vase-shaped with an open branch structure, and is usually multi-stemmed, growing 12-20’ tall. Green to red and finally purple fruit show up in clusters in late summer to early autumn. A. arborea is native, like all Serviceberries, to most of the East Coast, except for the coastal areas of the Carolinas through to Florida. It will take a variety of soils, including clay, but thrives in slightly acidic, moist soil in full sun. It will tolerate drier soil if it has more shade and cooler temperatures. One of the earliest trees to bloom in the spring, the flowers are a source of pollen and food for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. In addition, the serviceberries host hundreds of species of caterpillars. If you have been following my posts, you know how important caterpillars are in the ecosystem! And birds love the fall berries. Serviceberries can be susceptible to occasional rust diseases, as members of the Rosaceae (Rose) family. Because most of these rust diseases have an alternative host in junipers, if there are no species of juniper within a radius of several miles, this should not be an issue. In hot, dry locations, spider mites can affect the appearance of the plant. Serviceberry may be propagated by seed or by softwood cuttings. See www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=amar3 for more information. It does form root suckers, and over time will form a colony, growing as a shrub rather than a tree. Pruning should happen in the fall to avoid an excess of sap loss. The common name serviceberry comes because it blooms as soon as the ground starts to thaw, and it is blooming when people were able to dig graves and bury their dead after the winter. Not the prettiest image…but in bloom, this is a spectacular tree! It is lighting up the woods right now where I live. Other stories about the common name include that the “service” refers to the plant usually being in flower around Easter.This species is most effective in naturalistic plantings and along wood edges, ponds and streams. It is particularly effective against a dark background when it blooms!Join us each Tuesday to learn about #NativePlants you can add to your garden. See previous posts at #addnativeplants. For more information, see:plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amelanchier/www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=286375hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/serviceberry/ ... See MoreSee Less

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