All About the Downy Serviceberry:
Scientific Nomenclature: Amelanchier arborea
Common Names: downy serviceberry, common serviceberry, juneberry, shadblow, shadbush, sarvis
Mature Height: 25–30 feet
Mature Spread: 10–15 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate
Attracts Wildlife: Birds, pollinators and mammals.
Messiness: Small fruits resembling blueberries or purple crabapples mature in the spring and persist through summer, dropping in early autumn. Leaves drop in autumn.
Shape: Round
Native to Kentucky: Yes
Preferred Soils: Downy Serviceberry tolerates a wide range of conditions. Acidic (<6.0pH) or neutral (6.0–8.0pH) sandy, loam or well-drained clay soils are preferred but serviceberry is tolerant of both occasionally wet and dry soils.
Screening: Can be useful as a barrier or screening plant, especially in mass plantings.
Drought Tolerance: It does not tolerate drought well and should be watered during dry periods.
Coniferous or Deciduous: Deciduous
Pruning: Prune suckers from near the base of the plant to retain the desired form and keep it from gaining a “weedy” appearance.
Climate Quick Facts:
Following being planted as a sapling, over 20 years one downy serviceberry will:
- Sequester ~1,037 pounds of CO2.
- Reduce stormwater runoff by 323 gallons.