Native to North America, serviceberry (Amelanchier), also referred to as juneberry or shadblow, grows as a deciduous, multistemmed shrub or tree. All types are prized by gardeners for their early spring blossoms of small white or pinkish aromatic blooms, their abundance of fruit very similar to their brilliant fall leaves that range in colour from bright yellow to orange to dark red. Serviceberry grows best in full sun or partial shade and prefers moist, slightly acidic, well-drained dirt.
Shrubs Vs. Trees
All serviceberries tend to have multiple stems if suckers round the roots aren’t removed, causing some confusion regarding which varieties are shrubs and which are trees. But if you eliminate the suckers consistently, your serviceberry will be recognizable as a little tree. The alder-leaved serviceberry (Amelanchier ainifolia) is just one such case of a serviceberry frequently called a tree. Most alder-leaved serviceberries climb slowly from 10 to 15 feet tall and wide in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 1 through 8a, but the dwarf “Regent” variety grows only 4 to 6 feet tall.
Shadblow
You can grow shadblow serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) as either a large tree or even as a small tree, based on how a lot of the numerous stems you leave on the tree. It grows best in USDA zones 4 through 8 and reaches 10 to 30 feet tall and approximately 15 to 20 feet broad. Shadblow is more tolerant of clay dirt than other types of serviceberries. Its leaves turn red and orange in the autumn.
Apple Serviceberry
A hybrid form, apple serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora) is just a fast-growing tree that can reach 25 feet wide and tall. It was bred for disease resistance, profuse flowers and very bright orange-red fall leaf. “Autumn Brilliance” and “Cole’s Select” are just two of the most colorful apple serviceberries. Other types, such as “Princess Diana,” create pinkish-red leaves.
Allegheny Serviceberry
Tallest of this serviceberries, Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), grows in USDA zones 4 through 8 in 15 to 25 feet tall and broad but can sometimes reach 40 feet tall. The tree gets its Latin title “laevis,” meaning hairless, from its smooth leaves, which distinguish it from other comparable serviceberries. In the autumn, the leaves of Allegheny serviceberry turn orange, yellow-orange or red-orange.