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["Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu" <Lucky.Pittman@murraystate.edu>]

Serviceberries are in full fruit-ripening mode here.

There's a big, spreading, single-trunked
A.laevis(Allegheny serviceberry) at the public
library in town that's loaded with fruits.  Picked a
half-gallon in almost no time .
The corneliancherry dogwoods on the other side of the
creek (Little River) from the library are carrying a
heavy crop of fruit, but we're still at least a month
away from them being ripe.

Stopped by the elementary school my kids attended on
the way home yesterday - we'd planted 5
A.xgrandiflora seedlings(from the now-defunct Bear
Creek Nursery) there in 2000 or 2001; 4 of the 5 have
managed to survive the regular efforts of the school
system's maintenance crew to reduce all ground
surrounding schools to a barren lawn, and have grown
to be handsome multi-stemmed bushes about 10 ft in in
height.  All carrying a good crop of tasty berries
easily twice the size of the A.laevis berries in
town.  Picked another good 'mess' of berries there -
much to the displeasure of the mockingbirds.

Made serviceberry pancakes for breakfast this
morning, and a serviceberry cobbler to go along with
dinner this evening.

Lucky Pittman
Hopkinsville, KY