Allegheny Serviceberry

Common Names

• Smooth Shadbush
• Smooth Serviceberry

Scientific Names

• Amelanchier laevis
• Rosaceae family

History of
the Tree Species

• The Serviceberry (genus Amelanchier) genus includes ~20 species of flowering shrubs and small trees of the rose family (Rosaceae)
• Most species are North American (except for European snowy Mespilus (Amelanchier ovalis), and Asian serviceberry/Korean juneberry (A. asiatica)
• "Shadbush" refers to the tendency of certain species to produce their profuse small blossoms when American shad (Alosa sapidissima) swim upriver to spawn in early spring
• Several species of serviceberries have entered cultivation as ornamental plants, and some species bear fruit that is used in making jellies

Scientific Facts

• The fruit, (pomes) ripen in autumn and are edible, can be eaten raw or cooked
• The fruit has a sweet flavor
• The bark can be made into a herbal medicine for expectant mothers