Juneberry - Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.
Taxonomy,
cultivars.
Prized for their flowers and foliage color
as much as their fruit, dozens of species of Amelanchier (Family
Rosaceae, subfamily Pomoideae) are cultivated mostly as home garden plants
in North America. Various species are adapted to every state in the US
and province of Canada, but most fruit production occurs in northern areas
- Michigan, Minnesota, Canada. Common names include: juneberry, serviceberry,
sarvis or sarvistree, shadblow, swamp sugar pear, currant tree, snowy mespilus,
indian pear, Saskatoon berry, Canadian medlar, bilberry, maycherry. The
name "saskatoon" derives from the Blackfoot Indian word "mis-sask-quah-too-min".
A. alnifolia Nutt. = Saskatoon,
Juneberry or Western Serviceberry; this is the main species from which
fruiting cultivars are derived. Other commonly used species include: A.
arborea (Downy serviceberry),
A. asiatica (Asian serviceberry),
A. canadensis (shadblow seviceberry), A. laevis (Allegheny
serviceberry).
Origin,
history of cultivation.
Juneberries have been collected from the
wild by Native Americans and early settlers for centuries. Cultivation
is relatively limited.
Folklore,
medicinal and non-food uses.
Crude extracts of Amelanchier utahensis
are being studied for use as cancer therapy drugs.
Production
statistics - About 200-250 hectares of Amelanchier planted for "pick
your own" fruit production in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Some feel that
the industry could expand to about 4000 ha in the northern great plains.
Bushes bear fruit in 2-4 yr after transplanting, up to 6 tons/acre (13MT/ha)
under best conditions. Fruit ripen evenly in June-July, and can therefore
be mechanically harvested. In fact, juneberries would be managed very similar
to blueberries if planted to large acreages. Some people consider juneberries
to be a blueberry substitute for the more extreme environments of the North
American great plains.
Botanical
description
A. Plant: Slender, erect shrub 6-15
ft tall.
B. Flowers: White (rarely pink)
flowers borne in small tomentose racemes, 3-10 flowers per inflorescence.
Borne on previous year's growth in leaf axils. Flowering occurs relatively
early.
C. Pollination: Unclear; since most
plantings are seed propagated, a considerable degree of cross-pollination
occurs.
D. Fruit: a small, berry-like pome
(¼ to ½ inch), dark purple with bloom, 4-10 seeds per fruit.
Fruit ripens in June (& July), hence the name.
General
Culture
A. Soils and Climate:
Soil - Drought tolerance is higher than
most small fruits; this plant flowers and fruits in the western great plains
with limited rainfall and calcareous soil.
Climate - This species is native to the
northern Great Plains over to the Pacific Northwest, and is said to have
good adaptation to cool, semi-arid climates. I have seen several cultivars
fruit and do well in the heat and humidity of Georgia, so climate does
not appear to limit this species very much.
B. Propagation: Seedlings are most
commonly grown. Clones are produced from suckers, root cuttings, or softwood
cuttings.
C. Rootstocks: Usually not used;
seedlings are grown commercially.
D. Orchard design, pruning, training:
Bushes are spaced 6-8 ft apart in hedgerows 13-16 feet apart. Height
is maintained at about 6 ft.
Contribution
to diet, food uses
Juneberries are most often processed into
pies, jellies, jams, syrups, or wine. Fresh juneberries are fairly bland,
seedy, and mealy (my opinion). Fruit harvested early is best for processing,
and fully mature fruit are best for fresh consumption or wine. The plains
indians used Amelanchier berries to make pemmican, a staple food
consisting of dried lean meat, fat, and dried berries.