Amelanchier canadensis

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Amelanchier canadensis
Amelanchier canadensis flower.jpg
Amelanchier canadensis berry.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Amelanchier
Species:
A. canadensis
Binomial name
Amelanchier canadensis
Synonyms
  • A. canadensis var. subintegra Fernald
  • A. confusa Hyl.
  • A. lucida Fernald
  • A. oblongifolia
  • Mespilus canadensis L. (basionym)

Amelanchier canadensis (bilberry, [2] Canadian serviceberry, chuckle-berry, currant-tree, [3] juneberry, shad-blow serviceberry, shad-blow, shadbush, shadbush serviceberry, sugarplum, thicket serviceberry) is a species of Amelanchier native to eastern North America in Canada from Newfoundland west to southern Ontario, and in the United States from Maine south to Alabama. It is largely restricted to wet sites, particularly on the Atlantic coastal plain, growing at altitudes from sea level up to 200 m. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Description

It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 0.5–8 metres (1.6–26.2 ft) tall with one to many stems and a narrow, fastigiate crown. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to ovate-oblong, 1–5.5 cm long and 1.8–2.8 cm broad with a rounded to sub-acute apex; they are downy below, and have a serrated margin and an 8–15 mm petiole. The flowers are produced in early spring in loose racemes 4–6 cm long at the ends of the branches; each raceme has four to ten flowers. The flower has five white petals 7.6–11 mm long and 2–4 mm broad, and 20 stamens. The fruit is a pome, 7–10 mm diameter, dark purple when ripe; it is edible and sweet. Fruits become ripe in June and July [5] [6] in its native range.

Amelanchier canadensis is a deciduous, small tree that flowers in the early spring. Its height ranges from 6–20 ft. The leaves are subtly serrated and about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in length and they have a simple alternate pattern. [7] [8]

Bark

The bark is smooth and ash gray color when it is younger but as it gets older, the bark begins to form long, dark ridges and shallow furrows as it grows older. [9] [8]

Fruit

The fruit is pome-like and is less than 1 inch in both width and length. As the fruit ages it turns from a green color to red to purple and finally to black as it reaches maturity. The fruits are a food source for many different species of birds and small mammals including cardinals, woodpeckers, robins, orioles, chipmunks, and squirrels.

Leaves

When leaves are young they are covered in fine hairs but they become glabrous as they become older but the underside of the leaf retains short hairs. The leaves are egg-shaped and have finely serrated margins. The leaves are arranged in a simple alternate pattern and are 1 to 3 inches long and less than 1 inch wide. [7] [8] Deer do not usually feed on this species. [2] [7] [8]

Stems

Like the leaves, The stems are hairy when they are young and become glabrous over time. They have a brown or copper color. The buds also have fine hairs. [10] [9] [8]

Distribution

Amelanchier canadensis occurs primarily on the East coast of North America and it ranges as far north as the Ontario and Quebec provinces of Canada and as far west as Mississippi. [11]

Uses

It is used as a medicinal plant, [12] food, [7] and ornamental plant. [13] It is sometimes made into bonsai. The serviceberry blooms early in the spring. it is an important food source for pollinators like butterflies and honeybees. The tree’s wood is hard, heavy, and dark brown. It can hold polish and can be used to make fishing rods, walking sticks, and wooden handles. Wood production can be difficult due to the tree's small stature. [12] [7]

The bark and root of the tree have multiple medicinal purposes. The roots have been used for miscarriage, bark was used as a dewormer for children, was used to make disinfectant wipes, and could also be used to treat diarrhea and excessive bleeding while menstruating. [7] [12]

Taxonomy

Amelanchier canadensis is part of the Rose family (Rosaceae). Its synonyms include A. canadensis var. subintegra, A. confusa Hyl., A. lucida , A. oblongifolia, and Mespilus canadensis L.. The plant was named by Friedrich Kasimir Medikus in 1793. [14] [15] [16]

Pests

Rust leaf spot blight and apple powdery mildew can occur on Amelanchier canadensis. Insects that can burden the tree include the sawfly, leaf miners, borers, and scales. [17]

Gymnosporangium infecting leaves will begin to produce yellow circular marks. Once the fungus has matured, it begins to sprout spore horns that can be either yellow or brown. These horns can form on the fruit, leaves, stems, petioles, and twigs depending on the species of rust that has infected the tree. Leaves can begin to fall off, the fruits can start to rot, and it is not unusual for part of the tree infected with rust to die during the next winter. Members of the rose family are typically infected in wet weather during early spring. [17] [18] [19] Chemical fungicides used should be applied after growth of the rust is noticed in the spring. [17] [18] [19]

Conservation Status

The species is classified as Vulnerable in Canadian provinces and Georgia. Critically imperiled in Pennsylvania. and considered Secure in all other states within its native range [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>Amelanchier</i> Genus of fruit trees

Amelanchier, also known as shadbush, shadwood or shadblow, serviceberry or sarvisberry, juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum, wild-plum or chuckley pear, is a genus of about 20 species of deciduous-leaved shrubs and small trees in the rose family (Rosaceae).

Currant may refer to:

<i>Amelanchier alnifolia</i> Species of tree

Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon berry, Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, western shadbush, or western juneberry, is a shrub with an edible berry-like fruit, native to North America.

<i>Amelanchier arborea</i> Species of tree

Amelanchier arborea, is native to eastern North America from the Gulf Coast north to Thunder Bay in Ontario and Lake St. John in Quebec, and west to Texas and Minnesota.

Canadensis is a Neo-Latin term meaning of Canada, used in taxonomy to denote species indigenous to or strongly associated with Canada.

<i>Amelanchier utahensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier utahensis, the Utah serviceberry, is a shrub or small tree native to western North America. This serviceberry grows in varied habitats, from scrubby open slopes to woodlands and forests.

<i>Amelanchier bartramiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier bartramiana is a species of serviceberry. Common names include mountain serviceberry, mountain shadbush, Bartram's serviceberry, mountain juneberry, Bartram juneberry, and the oblongfruit serviceberry.

Amelanchier humilis, commonly known as the low shadbush, is a North American species of serviceberry. It is native to central Canada and the northeastern and north-central United States.

<i>Amelanchier interior</i> Serviceberry shrub

Amelanchier interior or Wiegand's shadbush is type of serviceberry shrub. It produces a sweet tasting edible fruit called a pome, which can be eaten raw or cooked. The fruit has a sweet flavor. This species is a deciduous tree. It grows on hillsides and banks of streams and reaches up to nine meters. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. It can grow in acid, neutral and alkaline soils, as well as shade or semi-shade. It requires moist soil.

<i>Amelanchier laevis</i> Species of tree

Amelanchier laevis, the smooth shadbush, smooth serviceberry or Allegheny serviceberry, is a North American species of tree in the rose family Rosaceae, growing up to 9 metres (30 ft) tall. It is native to eastern Canada and the eastern United States, from Newfoundland west to Ontario, Minnesota, and Iowa, south as far as Georgia and Alabama.

<i>Amelanchier <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> lamarckii</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier × lamarckii, also called juneberry, serviceberry or shadbush, is a large deciduous flowering shrub or small tree in the family Rosaceae.

<i>Amelanchier ovalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier ovalis, commonly known as snowy mespilus or serviceberry, is a deciduous shrub in the family Rosaceae. Its pome fruits are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. The species is native to central and southern Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East.

<i>Amelanchier nantucketensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier nantucketensis, also known as the Nantucket serviceberry or the Nantucket shadbush, produces edible fruit called pomes. Nantucket serviceberry is of conservation concern in the wild. Its distribution extends from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard to Long Island and Staten Island. There are scattered occurrences in Maryland, Virginia, Maine, and Nova Scotia.

<i>Amelanchier sanguinea</i> Species of tree

Amelanchier sanguinea, known as red-twigged shadbush or roundleaf serviceberry, is a shrub native to eastern and central North America. Its native range stretches from New Brunswick to Saskatchewan south as far as northern Georgia. It is most common in eastern Canada, the northeastern United States, and the Great Lakes region.

<i>Amelanchier <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> spicata</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier × spicata, also referred to as the low juneberry, thicket shadbush, dwarf serviceberry, or low serviceberry, is a hybrid of Amelanchier alnifolia × Amelanchier humilis. that has edible fruit, which are really pomes. They can be eaten raw or cooked. Amelanchier × spicata has clusters of small white flowers that bloom in spring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maleae</span> Tribe of flowering plants

The Maleae are the apple tribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals. Older taxonomies separated some of this group as tribe Crataegeae, as the Cydonia group, or some genera were placed in family Quillajaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malinae</span> Subtribe of flowering plants

Malinae is the name for the apple subtribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. This name is required by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, which came into force in 2011 for any group at the subtribe rank that includes the genus Malus but not either of the genera Rosa or Amygdalus. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals.

<i>Rubus canadensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Rubus canadensis is a North American species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names smooth blackberry, Canadian blackberry, thornless blackberry and smooth highbush blackberry. It is native to central and eastern Canada and the eastern United States.

<i>Amelanchier obovalis</i> Species of flowering plant

Amelanchier obovalis, the coastal serviceberry, coastal juneberry, or shadbush, is a species of flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is native to the Atlantic coastal plain of the United States, from New Jersey to Georgia, typically in pine barrens and other dry woodlands.

References

  1. ↑ Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI).; IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group. (2018). "Amelanchier canadensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T135957978A135957980. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T135957978A135957980.en . Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  2. 1 2 Canadian Wildlife Federation: Serviceberries
  3. ↑ "Amelanchier spp. Family: Rosaceae Serviceberry" (PDF). Center for Wood Anatomy Research. USDA Forest Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-03-08.
  4. ↑ "Amelanchier canadensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 University of Maine: Amelanchier canadensis var. canadensis Archived 2011-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
  6. 1 2 University of Maine: Amelanchier canadensis var. obovalis Archived 2014-03-14 at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Shadblow Serviceberry | Department of Horticulture". www.uky.edu. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Amelanchier canadensis (Canadian Serviceberry, Eastern Serviceberry, Juneberry, Serviceberry, Shadblow serviceberry, Shadbush, Shadbush Serviceberry) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 "USDA Plants Database". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Amelanchier spp. Family: Rosaceae Serviceberry" (PDF). Center for Wood Anatomy Research. USDA Forest Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2004-03-08.
  11. ↑ "Vascular Plants of North Carolina". auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Plants For A Future: Amelanchier canadensis
  13. ↑ Bailey, L. H. (2005). Manual of Gardening. (Second Edition) Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.
  14. ↑ "Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin". www.wildflower.org. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "Medikus, Friedrich Kasimir | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Amelanchier canadensis | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 "Shadbush Serviceberry Amelanchier". CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)-Rust". Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks. 11 September 2015.
  19. 1 2 Pscheidt, J.W. and Bassinette, J.P. 2007. Comparison of fungicides for control of rust on Serviceberry, 2006. PDMR 1:PF042.
  20. ↑ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
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