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Apple serviceberry

Amelanchier x grandiflora

Common names:
apple serviceberry, juneberry, shadblow

Content Detail

Apple serviceberry is a wonderful four-season tree with white flowers in the spring, blue-green leaves that turn red in the fall, blue-black edible berries, and smooth silver-gray bark. It is an excellent choice for a woodland garden, naturalized setting, or as a specimen plant in a garden. This tree is a hybrid between Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) and Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), both native trees.

  • Family (English) Rose
  • Family (botanic) Rosaceae
  • Planting site City parkway, Residential and parks, Under utility lines, Wide median
  • Tree or plant type Tree
  • Foliage Deciduous (seasonally loses leaves)
  • Native locale Non-native
  • Size range Small tree (15-25 feet)
  • Mature height 20-25 feet
  • Mature width 20-25 feet
  • Light exposure Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
  • Hardiness zones Zone 4, Zone 5 (Northern Illinois), Zone 6 (City of Chicago), Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9
  • Soil preference Acid soil
  • Tolerances Alkaline soil, Dry sites
  • Season of interest mid spring, late spring, late summer, early fall, mid fall
  • Flower color and fragrance Fragrant, White
  • Shape or form Multi-stemmed, Round, Upright
  • Growth rate Moderate
  • Transplants well Moderate
  • Wildlife Birds
  • Has cultivars Yes

Native geographic location and habitat: 

A hybrid between Downy serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) and Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), both native trees.

Bark color and texture: 

The silvery gray, smooth bark develops fissures as it ages.

Leaf or needle arrangement, size, shape, and texture: 

The leaves are simple, alternate, 2-inches long, and oval to elliptical shaped. The green leaves turn yellow and orange in fall.

Flower arrangement, shape and size: 

Numerous pink-tinged buds open to five-petaled, white pendulous flowers in the spring.

Fruit, cone, nut, and seed descriptions:

The 1/3-inch long edible fruits start out green, changing to red, then finally to blue-black in June.

Plant care: 

These plants are shallow-rooted and benefit from a mulch layer to conserve moisture and moderate soil temperatures.

List of pests and diseases: 

The apple serviceberry is susceptible to heat and drought stress. Additionally, it is  susceptible to cedar rusts and leaf spots. This plant is tolerant of black walnut toxicity.

Autumn Brilliance apple serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’): 

This tree is 20 to 25 feet high and wide with red fall color.

Princess Diana apple serviceberry (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Princess Diana’):  

This tree is 20 to 25 feet high and 15 to 20 feet wide with an upright habit and excellent red fall color.

Robin Hill apple serviceberry   (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Robin Hill’): 

This tree is 20 to 25 feet high and 12 to 15 feet wide with an upright-oval habit and red to yellow fall color.

Photo Gallery (5)

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