My favorite tree: Apple Serviceberry
One of my favorite specialty plants is the Serviceberry or Amelanchier. This is a plant that fits in any landscape as a specimen plant. It can be used near a home or in a planting and will not get to large for its space. The Amelanchier is a native plant and can be found in woodland settings growing along edges between shade and sun. Its habit is upright- vase shaped and will grow 15-18′ tall and about 8-10′ wide. Generally, it will be grown multi-stemmed and will become a beautiful plant. It is a slow grower and will be comfortable in most residential gardens. Spring (late April) will find the Amelanchier blooming with large white flowers. It usually blooms before the crab apples but, after the Forsythia. In June, the plant will be covered with blue berries and the birds love these berries, so they don’t last long. Fall finds the plant turning a beautiful red/orange color. The shape and bark color make this plant a winner for all four seasons. A few cultivars available are “Autumn Brilliance”, “Coles Select”, and “Princess Diana”.
