Pyrus canadensis

(L.) Farw.

Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shad-bush, Sweet pear, Shadblow serviceberry

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit

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Description

A small deciduous shrub or tree. It grows to 5-8 m high and spreads to 3 m across. It forms suckers. The stem is erect and slender. It can have several stems. The leaves are oval and sword shaped. Young leaves are very hairy. They turn red in autumn. The flowers are white and in drooping clusters. The fruit are small red berries about 7-10 mm across. They turn black on maturity. They are edible.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked—stewed, dried, preserved, and used in pancakes, muffins, pies, sauces, jams, jellies, and cakes. The dried fruit are used like raisins.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten raw or cooked. They are stewed, dried, preserved, and used in pancakes, muffins, pies, sauces, jams, jellies and cakes. The dried fruit are used like raisins.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It suits light well drained acid soils. Plants are naturalised in Sweden. It suits hardiness zones 5-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Where It Grows

Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, North America, Scandinavia, Sweden, Tasmania, USA,

Cultivation

They are grown from ripened seed. It can be grown from seed, layering or suckers. Seed can take 18 months to germinate and layers can take 18 months to form roots.

Production

Trees can yield 7 to 15 tonnes per hectare.

Notes

There are about 25-30 Amelanchier species.

Synonyms

Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medik.Mespilus canadensis L.

References (24)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994) (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 23 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 75 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 107 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 145 (As Amelanchier canadensis)

Show all 24 references

Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 92 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 193 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Flowerdew, B., 2000, Complete Fruit Book. Kyle Cathie Ltd., London. p 166 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Gesch. Bot. 79. 1793 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Glowinski, L., 1999, The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia. Lothian. p 51 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Grandtner, M. M., 2008, World Dictionary of Trees. Wood and Forest Science Department. Laval University, Quebec, Qc Canada. (Internet database http://www.WDT.QC.ca) (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 48 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
http://en.hortipedia.com
Jackes, D. A., Edible Forest Gardens (As Amelanchier canadensis)
John, L., & Stevenson, V., 1979, The Complete Book of Fruit. Angus & Robertson p 167(As Amelanchier canadensis)
Lamberton, K (Ed.), 2004, The Australian gardening encyclodepia. Murdoch Books, NSW Australia. p 163 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Lord, E.E., & Willis, J.H., 1999, Shrubs and Trees for Australian gardens. Lothian. p 47 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Lyle, S., 2006, Discovering fruit and nuts. Land Links. p 58 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 109 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Morley, B. & Everard, B., 1970, Wild Flowers of the World. Ebury press. Plate 152 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/. (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Ryan, S., 2008, Dicksonia. Rare Plants Manual. Hyland House. p 7 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Saunders, C.F., 1948, Edible and Useful Wild Plants. Dover. New York. p 90 (As Amelanchier canadensis)
Self, M., 199, Phoenix Seeds catalogue. p 17 (As Amelanchier canadensis)