Saskatoon Berry / Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Family: Rosaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (5/5)

Cold-hardy northern shrub producing juicy, deep-purple pomes resembling blueberries with a sweet almond-marzipan nuance.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweet blueberry-cherry flavor with a delicate natural almond finish in the soft seeds. — Eaten fresh by the cupful right off the shrub; Pounded into traditional indigenous winter pemmican cakes; Baked into traditional prairie Saskatoon berry pies and cobblers; Dehydrated like currants for winter trail provisions

Habitat & North American Range

Prairie coulees, sunny forest margins, rocky bluffs, and river banks. (Zone 2, Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7)