Apple Serviceberry

Scientific Name: Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’

Family: Rosaceae

Origin: Eastern US

Apple Serviceberry
Apple Serviceberry

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
Apple Serviceberry leaves & fruit
Apple Serviceberry leaves & fruit

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.