Amelanchier sanguinea aka Huron Serviceberry

Amelanchier sanguinea, or roundleaf serviceberry, belongs to the rose family. It is a deciduous shrub native to North America. Its range spans parts of Canada and the United States. These include Ontario, Québec, the Great Lakes region, and eastern states. It grows in open woods, beside rivers, and on rocky slopes. Wild sites include soils that are neutral or slightly lime-rich.

Plants reach about 10 feet [3 metres] in cultivation. Larger plants can reach 20 feet [6.1 metres]. It may grow with one stem or form a colony. Some plants become small trees with narrow crowns. The Chicago Botanic Garden lists a rounded shrub form. Suckers can spread outward and build a thicket. Young bark is smooth and ash-grey, with dark stripes. Older bark grows rough, with long cracks and grooves. Thin, flexible twigs start red and turn reddish brown.

The leaves grow alternately along the stems. Each leaf is simple, with a round or oval outline. The base may have a slight heart shape. Toothed edges range from fine to coarse. Pinnate veins extend to the leaf edge. Leaves are green above, with pale hairs beneath when young. White flowers open before the leaves in spring. Bloom falls in March and April, depending on the source. Each flower has five long, narrow petals. The flowers grow in clusters with a few fine hairs. Bees pollinate them, and the plant can set fruit itself.

Small, round fruits ripen from red to dark purple or black. Virginia Tech places ripening in middle to late summer. The fruits grow in small clusters and taste sweet. People can eat them fresh or cook them. Plants For A Future reports iron and copper in the fruit. Birds also visit this shrub. Flowers, fruit, and its branching form give it landscape value. It suits woodland edges, understory planting, screens, and hedges.

Grow it in sun or partial shade. It favours rich loam but accepts sand and heavy clay. Avoid soil that stays waterlogged. It tolerates dry ground and also grows in moist soil. Mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils suit it. Chicago lists USDA hardiness zones 4–7 and moderate watering. Plants For A Future reports no known hazards or medicinal uses. The supplied sources name no specific pests or diseases.