Susan is also blogging at GardenRant.Amelanchier arborea / Downy Serviceberry
Beloved by birds, downy serviceberries are native from Maine west to Iowa and south to North Florida and Louisiania. And good news — they do well in urban areas.
Click here for photos of the serviceberry flowering.
Details
- Fabulous fall color (evidenced in the photo here) and bark.
- White blooms appear in spring, fruit in June.
- Usually 15-25' tall, though it's been known to grow to 40'.
- Hardy in Zones 4-9.
- Can take full sun or partial shade.
- Grows best in moist spots.
Care
- Academic websites reveal the serviceberry's vulnerability to: deer, rabbitts, rust, scale, aphids and mildew — whew! Despite all the warnings, the ones in my neighborhood are managing to thrive. Is this typical? Let's hear from other gardeners.
- Its listed preference for wet soils serves to warn the gardener that serviceberries need supplemental watering during periods of drought (at least), especially in full sun.
Location Matters
The serviceberries I write about are grown in my Washington, D.C.-area neighborhood, Zone 7A. If you've grown them and have comments to add here, send 'em along, and tell me where you garden.
More Great Info in Print
- Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs
by the best-known authority on the subject. - Taylor's Guide to Shrubs
is another good one.