Amelanchier pumila
(Nutt. ex Torr. & A. Gray) M. Roem.
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Shane Hanofee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Shane Hanofee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A temperate shrub in the Rosaceae family with purplish fruit.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
With a sweet, nutty taste, the fruits have long been eaten by Indigenous peoples in Canada, fresh or dried. They are well known as an ingredient in pemmican, a preparation of dried meat to which saskatoon berries are added as flavour and preservative. They are used in saskatoon berry pie, jam, wine, cider, beers, and sugar-infused berries similar to dried cranberries used for breakfast cereals, trail mix, and snack foods. In 2004, the British Food Standards Agency suspended saskatoon berries from retail sales pending safety testing; the ban eventually was lifted.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant.
Where It Grows
North America, USA,
Synonyms
References (1)
- Reis, S. V. and Lipp, F. L., 1982, New Plant Sources for Drugs and Foods from the New York Botanical Garden herbarium. Harvard. p 96 (As Amelanchier alnifolia var. pumila)
