I planted two Serviceberry (Amelanchier) ‘Autumn Brilliance’ shrubs several years ago because I wanted to provide some fruit for the backyard birds. Now they have to fight me for it.
I don’t know why more people don’t grow serviceberries. The berries (also called juneberries–or saskatoons if you’re in Canada, eh?) are delicious. The shrubs are easy to care for and grow well in sun or partial shade. In June they produce sweet, dark-red-to-purple berries that I find much more tasty than blueberries. They’re loaded with antioxidants as well as being high in Vitamin C, and they provide many other vitamins and minerals (Vitamin E, copper, magnesium and folate to name a few).
I was able to harvest several quarts of berries from one shrub this year and still leave plenty for the birds. Robins and cardinals are especially fond of the berries. I’ve also watched chickadees hang upside-down from the branches to pluck berries and chipmunks scurry up the branches to grab a mouthful.
‘Autumn Brilliance’ eventually grows 15 to 25-feet tall (it will stay on the shorter end if you grow it in partial shade). The shrubs showcase pretty white flowers in the spring.
‘Autumn Brilliance’ is hardy in zones 4-9 and lives up to its name in the fall when the leaves turn a brilliant shade of gold that changes to orange and eventually red.
