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christyrocny

Saskatoon Blueberry/juneberry from 4Seasons/DirectGardening

ChristyRocNY
10 years ago

I have some Saskatoon Serviceberries and June Berries bought from 4SeasonsNurseries/DirectGarding a couple of years ago. These were being offered as separate listings at the time, and the plants do look different as they leaf out (one is fuzzy right now, and the other is completely fuzz-free), but they only have one kind now, and prior to that they sold one labelled "Saskatoon Blueberry". I also seem to have a couple of those, also fuzzy.
The plants have all been in pots or a temporary bed, and I'm ready to move them to their permanent location, but I can't find anything that will tell me what the difference is between them or how big they are likely to get, and general information on serviceberries says they could get anywhere from 4 to 20 feet tall.
Any help at all would be appreciated!

Comments (6)

  • Bradybb WA-Zone8
    10 years ago

    Can a picture be supplied?I'd like to see them.What parts are fuzzy,the leaves?Is the leaf shape the same?
    Also,Four Seasons/Direct Gardening isn't really noted for quality. Brady

  • ChristyRocNY
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I know, but at the time I was thinking of putting these plants on the land behind my parents' house, and "cheap" was at the top of my list of criteria. When I'm squeezing things into the limited space in my back yard I make quality a higher priority. Still, I thought that they would have some record of what plants they sold three years ago. Apparently not.

    Now, Google, on the other hand, DOES have a record. I found a cached copy of the website, listing the "Juneberry" as Amelanchier Canadensis, and "Saskatoon Serviceberry" as Amelanchier Alnifolia. And turns out that the "Saskatoon Blueberries" came from Gurneys. Also Amelanchier Alnifolia. But while the DirectGardening alnifolia is expected to be a short 4-6ft, the Gurneys one is 15-20. Is that sort of range typical? The pictures look pretty similar. The Canadensis, on the other hand says 10-12 feet and has red berries. Are these edible, or just "bird berries"?

    Answers that lead to more questions, they are!

    I'll see if I can get some pictures. The fuzziness is the leaves. I don't remember them being fuzzy last year, so I think it's just when they're opening.

  • Bradybb WA-Zone8
    10 years ago

    As far as I know,all the fruit in the Amelanchier genus is edible.Of course,some are going to have a better taste than another one.
    Both Amelanchier Canadensis and Alnifolia can get to about 25 feet,depending on the variety.Mine are Alnifolia,shrub like, being Northline,Smoky and another unnamed one,which is looking more like a tree.
    I actually bought one from Direct Gardening before learning of their reputation and it arrived DOA and have never purchased anything since. Brady

  • fabaceae_native
    10 years ago

    Amelanchier canadensis is not really for eating. It is grown primarily as an ornamental, "Autumn Brilliance" being the most commonly sold cultivar, which takes the form of a small tree. The berries are edible, but are small, seedy, and not very tasty.

    The named varieties of Amelanchier alnifolia are the true "Saskatoon berries" grown commercially in Canada. The ones I have tasted were very reminiscent of blueberries, even in the wild. I just ordered two from Burnt Ridge Nursery, and the price was very good.

  • drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
    10 years ago

    Northline and Smokey taste pretty good, I would say excellent. Certainly for eating.

  • don555
    10 years ago

    I planted 4 types along one side of our yard over 20 years ago, but the only name I can remember for sure is Smoky. It is by far my favorite, I cut out one of the other culitvars to make room for more Smoky bushes. Smoky is probably the main culitvar used in commercial plantings here in the Canadian prairies -- very sweet and similar in taste to a blueberry, though not as juicy as a blueberry. The other kinds I planted... one was bland, one was tasty but tart, one just didn't produce much.

    After 23 years, my plants are probably about 12 feet tall (dark out now so can't see them). They are like upright bushes, multistemmed, a bit straggly. Grown commercially they prune them to 5 or 6 feet I think to keep the picking easy.

    In the wild, I guess I have seen mature patches of saskatoons only 4 or 5 tall, but those are always growing on dry, exposed slopes, so are probably kept short by the site conditions rather than that's all the growth the plant is capable of. I have seen cultivated saskatoons in people's yards in the city that are more like short trees -- 15 feet or maybe more tall, and a spread to match (unlike my upright bushes that don't spread very wide). I guess it depends on the culitvar.