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nafex - [NAFEX] service berries/ saskatoons

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  • From: Martha Davis <martha_davis@earthlink.net>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] service berries/ saskatoons
  • Date: Mon, 7 Mar 2011 09:48:18 -0700

Saskatoons are Amelanchier alnifolia and those are the ones that have had
breeding work done for flavor. A. alnifolia is native to drier and cooler
areas of North America. Service berries are supposed to be hard to key out
to species, but all are edible and most are attractive. There has also been
a lot of breeding work done for ornamental on some of the other Amelanchier
species and I have had opportunities to ask ornamental horticulturalists who
liked the berries which ones they thought had better flavor and generally
they didn't have an outstanding choice and said they liked them all. There
are clearly some differences, but not nearly like ornamental crabs and
apples. I know Raintree sells one ornamental variety Autumn Brilliance A. x
grandiflora that they said had good flavored fruit. It is almost certainly
better adapted to the lower Midwest and east. If you want a discussion of
ornamental varieties look at Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael
Dirr. Some NAFEXer in the past said that they thought you could find well
flavored, locally adapted plants fairly easily by exploring your local
species. If you have a nearby arboretum you might also want to check those
out. I believe Al has his favorites for harvest in a nearby park. They
will be easy to spot when in bloom and then you will know where to return,
it is hard to beat the birds.

Martha




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