The serviceberries are ripening right now and I've been fighting off the robins to harvest a few. Serviceberry, Amelanchier, is a wonderful genus of native shrubs and small trees that I've written about here. These plants are highly ornamental, and their fruit is as tasty as it is colorful.
The ripe berries are purple in color, about 3/8" in diameter, and taste like a cross between a blueberry and a grape — sweet and a bit musky. They're terrific right off the tree, and I like them with my morning bowl of yogurt and granola, too. Or pancakes. Or smoothies. On ice cream. Mmmmm.
Native. Ornamental. Edible. What more could you ask for?
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3 comments:
We have the same serviceberry species higher in the mountains, so I should seek it out, even though I haven't found any in the wild there.Hey, it might grow in the oasis part of a garden in at least as warm a place as Abq, so I'll ask someone who probably knows. With that flavor palette, it sounds perfect to start the day!
Hope you can find one that's adaptable to your region - and you're right, this plant is not super drought tolerant - so selecting the right location is important.
I just found your beautiful pictures of serviceberries online. I was wondering if you would let Steamboat Magazine use one of these images for our upcoming edition commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. One of the three Wilderness areas near Steamboat Springs is called Sarvis Creek Wilderness, and it is noted for its serviceberry bushes (no one knows for sure how the spelling got changed.) We are giving the net proceeds from the sales of a limited edition of hardbound copies to our local land trust. Please feel free to contact me with questions.
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