# common serviceberry (*Amelanchier arborea*) The common serviceberry is a small tree that produces sweet, tasty berries. In spring, it blooms with beautiful white flowers that attract bees and butterflies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Shadbush ![common serviceberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Amelanchier_arborea_leaves.JPG&width=800) Photo: Dcrjsr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amelanchier_arborea_leaves.JPG) ## Appearance The common serviceberry has delicate white flowers that appear in early spring before its leaves fully emerge, sometimes with a hint of pink. Its small, round berries ripen from red to dark purple, resembling blueberries. The bark is smooth and gray, and its leaves turn vibrant orange-red in fall. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Amelanchier ## Interesting facts - Its incredibly strong wood was historically used to make tool handles and even archery bows! - Its name comes from blooming when roads thawed, allowing travel for spring church services! - Native Americans used the serviceberry's bark and roots to make traditional medicines. - The berries look just like blueberries, but they grow on a tree, not a bush! ## Special abilities - **Spring Awakener:** Common serviceberry can bloom very early in spring, providing crucial nectar and pollen for hungry pollinators when few other plants are flowering. - **Berry Banquet:** Common serviceberry has sweet, edible berries that attract a wide variety of birds and mammals, helping to spread its seeds far and wide. - **Colorful Camouflage:** Common serviceberry has leaves that turn brilliant orange and red in the fall, blending into autumn forests and signaling the change of seasons. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 450-1370 cm - **Spread:** 300-600 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Early spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — enjoys the ripe, sweet berries - **Eaten by:** American Black Bear (*Ursus americanus*) — feasts on the abundant summer fruits - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on young twigs and leaves ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Fall Color](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fall-color): Fall color refers to the seasonal change in foliage pigmentation, primarily in deciduous plants, displaying vibrant hues. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking and eating berries from trees. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common serviceberry? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is common serviceberry? 450-1370 cm ### How wide does common serviceberry spread? 300-600 cm ### How big are the flowers on common serviceberry? 1-2 cm ### When does common serviceberry bloom? Early spring ### Is common serviceberry edible? Yes ### Is common serviceberry toxic? None ### What is common serviceberry's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Georgia Institute of Technology Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/georgia-institute-of-technology-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Inman Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/inman-park) — Georgia, US · Neighborhood - [Irvington Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/irvington-historic-district) — Indiana, US · Historic District - [Starlight Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/starlight-park) — New York, US · Park - [Techwood Homes](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/techwood-homes) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Kitchell Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kitchell-park) — Illinois, US · Park [View all places to see common serviceberry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-serviceberry) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Common Serviceberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-serviceberry)