Saskatoons

Also called Juneberry, Parsonberry, Serviceberry, Shadblow, Shadbush and Shad. Purplish-black sweet berries great for pies, cobblers, jellies, jams, smoothies and cakes. Berries are about the size of a lowbush blueberry, or a bit larger, and seedier. Fruit ripens in mid-July in central Maine.

We’ve always admired our native Amelanchiers in the wilds of Maine where they grow along stream edges and rocky slopes. Beautiful fragrant 5-petaled white flowers are early harbingers of spring in Maine. Nice red-orange fall foliage. Recently we’re learning more about saskatoons farmed commercially for fruit in Canada, much like how we grow highbush blueberries. In Canada there are saskatoon festivals, and even a baseball team called the Saskatoon Berries!

Growing Saskatoons

• Soil: Moist well-drained soil; will tolerate clay.
• Sun: Full.
• Pollination: Self-fruitful, but plant more than one variety for better yields.
• Spacing: 5' apart.