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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] service berries/ saskatoons

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  • From: Matt Demmon <mdemmon@gmail.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] service berries/ saskatoons
  • Date: Tue, 8 Mar 2011 06:03:52 -0500

It seems like Amelanchier species perform vastly differently in different
areas of the country, so as has been said on here before, look for ones that
are around you and doing well, and grow them from seed or cuttings! Most
seem to come pretty true from seed.

I have seen a huge variability in the fruit quality of varieties planted for
ornamental use around here, even between ones which are supposed to be the
same clone. I've got picked out a couple yard bushes around town that have
especially delicious berries, and 2 that are 2 weeks later than all the
rest. And there are a couple of plants that have slightly different leaves
with more of a bluish cast and larger rounded teeth, and they are the only
ones that have berries that are inedible here, completely dry, small, and
somewhat bitter. Otherwise they are all good but all different!

-matt
z5 SE MI

On Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 11:48 AM, Martha Davis
<martha_davis@earthlink.net>wrote:

> 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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