Sometimes I’m asked for my favorite plant. While I have several, one of my favorites is serviceberry. I remember ten years ago that I needed a small tree to put next to my mailbox. I wanted something with more than one season of beauty too.

I chose serviceberry, also known as shadbush or Juneberry. There are several nice selections: Amelanchier arborea, Amelanchier x grandiflora and Amelanchier ‘Autumn Brilliance’.

All have attractive slender flower clusters that dangle in April, reddish-purple fruit in May and brilliant orange-red fall foliage. For winter interest, I added Firefly Magic Firefly Lights.

The fruit is delicious! They taste like apples and I can pull them by the handful from the tree. I have to harvest them daily to keep birds from enjoying them before I do!

If you want a small tree to tuck into an important part of your landscape, serviceberry may fit your needs like it did mine!

serviceberry flower

serviceberry fruit