Practical
Plants

Amelanchier alnifolia

Saskatoon

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Amelanchier genus in the family Rosaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rosaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
4 m
Spread
3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

Edible fruit - raw or cooked[13][3][15][16][2]. The fruit ripens in mid summer (early July in southern Britain), it is soft and juicy with a few small seeds in the centre. A very nice sweet flavour that is enjoyed by almost everyone who tries it, there is a hint of apple in the taste[K]. About the size of a blackcurrant, the fruit is produced in small clusters and the best wild forms can be 15mm in diameter[8][9]. The fruit can also be dried and used as raisins or made into pemmican[2][6]. The fruit is rich in iron and copper[10]. The leaves are a tea substitute[4][12].

Plant part
Fruit
Preparation
Raw, Cooked, Dried
Product or use
Fresh fruit, Dried fruit
Preparation
Dried, Steeped
Product or use
Tea

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Saskatoon was quite widely employed as a medicinal herb by the North American Indians, who used it to treat a wide range of minor complaints[12]. It is little used in modern herbalism. An infusion of the inner bark is used as a treatment for snow-blindness[5]. A decoction of the fruit juice is mildly laxative. It has been used in the treatment of upset stomachs, to restore the appetite in children, it is also applied externally as ear and eye drops[12]. A decoction of the roots has been used in the treatment of colds[12]. It has also been used as a treatment for too frequent menstruation[12]. A decoction of the stems, combined with the stems of snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp) is diaphoretic. It has been used to induce sweating in the treatment of fevers, flu etc and also in the treatment of chest pains and lung infections[12]. A decoction of the plant, together with bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata) has been used as a contraceptive[12]. Other recipes involving this plant have also been used as contraceptives including a decoction of the ashes of the plant combined with the ashes of pine branches or buds[12]. A strong decoction of the bark was taken immediately after childbirth to hasten the dropping of the placenta. It was said to help clean out and help heal the woman's insides and also to stop her menstrual periods after the birth, thus acting as a form of birth control[12].

Product or use
Appetizer
Product or use
Birthing aid
Product or use
Contraceptive
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Ophthalmic
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Plants have a spreading, suckering root system and are used in windbreaks for erosion control[8]. Young branches can be twisted to make a rope[12]. Wood - hard, straight grained, tough. Used for tool handles etc. The wood can be made even harder by heating it over a fire and it is easily moulded whilst still hot[19]. The young stems are used to make rims, handles and as a stiffening in basket making[12].

Environment

Range
Western and Central N. America - Saskatchewan and south to Colorado and Idaho.
Habitat
Thickets, woodland edges and banks of streams[14] in moist well-drained soils[19][8]. Small bushy forms grow on fairly dry hillsides[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 2+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - it is best harvested 'green', when the seed is fully formed but before the seed coat has hardened, and then sown immediately in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. If stored seed is obtained early enough in the autumn, it can be given 4 weeks warm stratification before being left out in the winter and it should then germinate in the spring. Otherwise seed can be very slow to germinate, perhaps taking 18 months or more. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a sheltered outdoor position, planting them out once they are 20cm or more tall. If there is sufficient seed it is best to sow it thinly in an outdoor seedbed[17][18]. Grow the seedlings on for two years in the seedbed before planting them out into their permanent positions during the winter. Layering in spring - takes 18 months[17]. Division of suckers in late winter. The suckers need to have been growing for 2 years before you dig them up, otherwise they will not have formed roots. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a rich loamy soil in a sunny position or semi-shade[1][8] but thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged[3]. Plants are fairly lime tolerant[8], they also grow well in heavy clay soils. Hardy to about -20°c according to one report[7], whilst another suggests that this species is hardy to about -50°c[3]. All members of this genus have edible fruits and, whilst this is dry and uninteresting in some species, in many others it is sweet and juicy. Many of the species have potential for use in the garden as edible ornamentals. This species is particularly interesting because it is quite compact and produces an excellent quality quite large fruit[K]. The main draw-back to this genus is that birds adore the fruit and will often completely strip a tree before it is fully ripe[K]. A very variable species, ranging from a thicket-forming shrub to a small tree in the wild[11]. It is occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are several named varieties[6]. A stoloniferous species, spreading by suckers to form a thicket[3]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[8]. Grafting onto seedlings of A. lamarckii or Sorbus aucuparia is sometimes practised in order to avoid the potential problem of hybridizing[1].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩

  5. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

    ↩

  6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  7. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30258-2

    ↩

  8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  9. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

    ↩1↩2

  10. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩

  11. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩

  12. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  13. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩

  14. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  15. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  16. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

    ↩

  17. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  18. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩

  19. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

    ↩1↩2

Edit this page