By: Steve Roark
Volunteer, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

You may not be familiar with Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), but I know you’ve seen it. It’s the earliest native tree to bloom in the woods (late March to early April) and is very striking on a hillside forest still barren and brown from winter. There is another unfortunate early blooming white flower produced by Bradford pears that are being spread by birds and is a bad invasive plant that competes with native trees.

These showy flowers are small, have 5 petals, and hang from the tree in drooping clumps. The tree itself is usually small (20-30 feet tall), with smooth, gray bark. The leaves are two to three inches long and heart shaped at their base, with white hairs on the underside.

Serviceberry has several names, mostly referring to when it blooms. Around here it is called "Sarvis" or "Service tree" and probably originated from the fact that it blooms around the spring memorial services. Another name is Shadbush, due to its flowering during the time that shad run upstream. Still another name is Juneberry, from the small red-purple berries it produces during the early summer.

Serviceberry is not a commercially valuable species, but it is beneficial to wildlife. The berries feed a number of birds and small mammals and provide browse for deer. It can also be a good landscaping plant, providing an early and showy bloom, delicate leaves, smooth bark, and berries that are popular with songbirds as well as humans (use them like blueberries).

Serviceberry will grow in almost any location and is easy to start from either seeds or cuttings. There are commercially grow varieties available, but saplings can be successfully transplanted from the woods, with permission from the landowner as always.