Apple Serviceberry
Scientific Name: Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’
Family: Rosaceae
Origin: Eastern US
Why is it called Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’? It is a cultivated hybrid between the Downy Serviceberry (A. arborea) and the Allegheny Serviceberry (A. laevis) trees. Amelanchier comes from a French name for Amelanchier ovalis and grandiflora is Latin for large flowers. This cultivar is called ‘Autumn Brilliance’ because the leaves turn a brilliant orange-red in the fall.
Common Names: Apple Serviceberry, Juneberry
Mature Height: 15-25 feet
Mature Width/Spread: 15-25 feet
Leaves: Simple dull green to blue-green elliptic leaves 2-3 inches long that have a serrated edge and are pointed at the tip
In the fall, the leaves become: brilliant orange-red
Flowers and fruit? Yes. White flowers bloom in April followed by edible fruits in June.
Historical tidbit: George Washington planted serviceberry trees at Mount Vernon in Virginia.
Did you know that…
- the berries taste like blueberries and can be used in jams, jellies and pies
- they are called Juneberry trees because that is when the fruit appears
- birds love to eat the berries
Sources
http://www.thetreefarm.com/elm-valley-forge-american
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=d477
http://forestry.ohiodnr.gov/americanelm
Photo Credit:
http://www.thetreefarm.com/serviceberry-autumn-brilliance
https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-plant-descriptions/apple-serviceberry
PAGE INFORMATION COMPILED AS PART OF NOAH WERNING’S 2020 EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT.