Birdscaping: The serviceberry

Cedar Waxwing feasting on serviceberry's berries

Birds descend in droves to feed on ripening serviceberries, one of the first fruits of the summer. At first the fruit is red and very tart, but if you wait until later in summer when the berries to turn a purplish hue, you'll be surprised how sweet they are. Try one. They're edible for people; they taste much like blueberries, with a slightly grainy texture and a mild-sweet flavor. Use them in recipes just as you would blueberries.

The berries' wholesomeness is one reason so many different species of birds find serviceberries so attractive as food. Some 30 to 40 bird species eat serviceberries. The berries are enjoyed by catbirds, grosbeaks, cardinals, vireos, mockingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, robins and thrushes. Cedar Waxwings are so fond of the berries they will arrive in groups. In her blog, Kim Eiderman says if you've never had a Cedar Waxwing in your backyard, plant a serviceberry and they'll arrive. These fruit-lovers actually prefer serviceberries over other food sources in the garden.

When berries turn purple, they are as tasty as blueberries

The peak of the berries comes at a time when summertime birds are beginning to prepare for their migration south. The berries give them a much-needed boost of energy at that critical time. Even year-round birds welcome the berries. They must fatten up for the cold weather ahead.

For gardeners, the serviceberry provides one more benefit. It supports many pollinating insects and are the larval host plants for a number of butterflies and moths. You may a see the Striped Hairstreak, Carolina Hairstreak, White Admiral, Western or Widemeier's Admiral, Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail, Viceroy, Small-eyed Sphinx Month or Blinded Sphinx Moth.

The serviceberry (Amerlanchier species) is also known as Juneberry, because the berries  appear during that month. Another name is shadbush or shad wood, because the flowers are seen when the shad are running upstream to spawn in inland rivers such as the Delaware. The term "serviceberry" itself is a relic from olden times; when the blooms appeared in mid-April, the ground finally was workable to hand-dig graves that had been frozen solid in the cemetery all winter long. The blooms also served as floral arrangements for the funeral itself, as back then greenhouse-raised flowers  were much too expensive for the common folk. 

After a hard winter, serviceberry offers a welcome relief

Serviceberries are native to Pennsylvania. They are hardy even in our coldest winters.

The serviceberry's white blossoms appear in-mid April. The flowers supply much-needed nectar for emerging insects when little else is available. Tiny flying insects are a source of food for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that had just made their arduous migration across the Gulf of Mexico and are desperately in need of the protein the insects supply. 

Serviceberries bloom for up to three weeks. Then begins the process of converting the spent flowers into berries, which several more weeks. The berries remain through the summer. In the autumn, the leaves turn a brilliant orange and yellow; in a mature serviceberry, the bark is a smooth gray that's quite appealing in the winter landscape.

Male cardinal can't wait for berries to ripen

Serviceberries are either large shrubs or small trees, depending on the variety. 

The tree variety can grow 25 to 40 feet high; you can promote tree-like growth by pruning away side stems. On the other hand, the shrub variety can be kept in check by removing the strongest trunk. Also, leaving multiple stems toward the base of the truck will encourage the plant to remain a shrub.

(Any major pruning should be done by the end of January. You'll be able to see the plant's branches clearly; the plant will be dormant; and it's less likely that you'll lose buds for the blossoms that flower in spring.) 

When you're going shopping at a gardening center, ask an informed specialist about the different varieties of serviceberry so you can find the right one for your needs. (We stay away from the garden section of big-box stores, since they usually do not have knowledgeable gardeners on staff.) The species commonly planted in our area include:

• Downy Serviceberry (Amelancier arborea). If you're looking for a serviceberry for an urban setting, this is your candidate. Tolerant of pollution, it grows 10 to 35 feet tall, has multiple trunks and produces large fruit.
• Allegheny Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis). The largest of the serviceberries, it usually grows 15 to 25 feet tall and wide in shrub form but sometimes can reach 40 feet tall as a tree. Its smooth leaves distinguish it from other serviceberries. It may form multiple trunks; if you're prefer a tree, cut these and let the leader remain to serve as the trunk.
• Apple Serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora). The apple serviceberry is a cross between the Downy and the Allegheny varieties. Its flowers are more elaborate. The apple serviceberry grows 20 to 25 feet tall.
• Round-leaved Serviceberry (Amelancier sanguinea). This is a great choice for a shrublike plant. The smallest species in the Northeast, it grows to just 10 feet tall. Another difference is that the shrub has red twigs, which not only distinguishes it from its cousins but also provides winter interest in the landscape.
• Canadian Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis). An extremely hardy serviceberry, it is native to eastern North America. The plant grows 6 to 30 feet tall. It prefers moist soils.
• Saskatoon or western junebery (Amalanchier alnifolia). This species may be available for sale locally but it may not thrive. A shrubby plant, it is cultivated for its prolific berries. The plant is native to southwest Canada and the Dakotas. Cornell University's researchers say the southernmost range of Saskatoon is Zone 5. The Lehigh Valley is in Zone 6.

Serviceberries form a nook in a backyard garden

Planting and growing serviceberries is relatively easy. They prefer full sun, although they can adapt to partial shade. They're hardy in the Lehigh Valley, and in most instances they can accommodate the soils we have here. Serviceberries will require ample water until they are fully established (a year or so will do). They will develop deep roots. To ensure they get enough moisture as they mature, do not locate them on elevated rocky areas where the ground can't retain the rain. 

For the first few years after planting, mulch the serviceberry during November. 


For bird lovers who also love gardening in their backyards, serviceberry is a must-have. It blooms early in season, prior to the redbuds and dogwoods. If you plant one of each of these, you are guaranteed a beautiful display lasting about two months.

Serviceberry puts on a show for autumn

Serviceberries can be grown singularly as a focal point in the landscape. Several of the shrublike varieties could be used to create a privacy screen. If space permits, a grove of serviceberry trees provides a splash of white in the spring and orange in the fall. In between, the birds will have plenty to eat. 

You can even grow a serviceberry in a tight location, such as near a house or sidewalk. The roots tend to go down, rather than spread outward near the surface as is the case with oaks, maples and other shade trees known to heave up sidewalks. The Downy Serviceberry tolerates urban pollution well. Who knows, you may will be able to gaze out your second-story window to watch, just feet away, a cedar waxwing feasting on the berries!