Amelanchier arborea (Downy Serviceberry) Unity Grown

Amelanchier arborea, also called downy serviceberry or juneberry, is a small, multi-trunked tree native to eastern North America. Downy serviceberry draws its name from its large snow-white flowers that bloom in the early spring before many other trees begin to leaf out; the flowers on the trees' otherwise empty branches give the tree a feathery or downy appearance. Although flowers are highly ornamental, downy serviceberry's spring blooms also serve to attract a huge variety of native pollinators. Then, later in the spring and early summer, flowers turn to sweet, roughly blueberry-sized fruits that are edible and delicious.

Trees typically reach 15-25' tall and wide at maturity, and do well in full sun to partial shade, making them a great choice as a small ornamental or specimen tree. Beyond just specimen planting, their small stature and tolerance of a wide variety of conditions make them suitable for any number of locations and uses including naturalizing in forest understories. Amelanchier arborea prefers medium moist soils, but isn't picky about soil type or consistency, and tolerates deer browsing, erosion, and wet soil handily. Beyond its purpose as an ornamental and as a fruit-bearing tree, serviceberries also attract birds, and a number of different butterfly and caterpillar species, including the Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and the Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) butterlies.