# Saskatoon (*Amelanchier alnifolia*) Saskatoon is a lovely shrub that grows tasty berries! These berries are sweet and can be eaten fresh or used in yummy treats like pies and jams. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Juneberry, Serviceberry ![Saskatoon](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Amelanchier_alnifolia_6338.JPG&width=800) Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amelanchier_alnifolia_6338.JPG) ## Appearance The Saskatoon is a multi-stemmed shrub with oval, finely toothed leaves. It produces clusters of five-petaled white flowers in spring, followed by small, round berries that ripen from green to reddish, then deep purplish-blue in summer. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rosaceae - **Genus:** Amelanchier ## Interesting facts - Indigenous peoples dried Saskatoon berries for pemmican, a super survival food! - Its tough wood was traditionally used to make strong arrows and durable tool handles! - The name "Saskatoon" comes from the Cree word "misâskwatômina" for the sweet berry! - This plant can grow in very cold places where many other fruit plants cannot survive! ## Special abilities - **Cold Crusader:** Saskatoon can withstand extremely cold winter temperatures, helping it survive in harsh northern climates. - **Berry Banquet:** Saskatoon has sweet, nutritious berries that attract many animals, which helps it spread its seeds far and wide. - **Pioneer Power:** Saskatoon can grow in disturbed soils and open areas, helping it colonize new or challenging environments. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-400 cm - **Spread:** 100-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — attracted to spring flowers - **Eaten by:** American black bear (*Ursus americanus*) — eats large quantities of berries - **Eaten by:** [American robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — consumes berries, aiding seed dispersal - **Eats:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses on leaves and twigs ## 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. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [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. - [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. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always wash berries before eating them, and make sure they are safe to eat! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Saskatoon? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Saskatoon? 100-400 cm ### How wide does Saskatoon spread? 100-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on Saskatoon? 0.5-2 cm ### When does Saskatoon bloom? Spring ### Is Saskatoon edible? Yes ### Is Saskatoon toxic? None ### What is Saskatoon's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Polebridge Ranger Station Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/polebridge-ranger-station-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Gakona Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gakona-historic-district) — Alaska, US · Historic District - [Bromley Rock Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bromley-rock-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [AMK Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/amk-ranch) — Wyoming, US · Historic Site - [Butte-Anaconda Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/butte-anaconda-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District - [Headquarters Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/headquarters-historic-district) — Montana, US · Historic District [View all places to see Saskatoon](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/saskatoon) ## 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: [Saskatoon: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/saskatoon)