Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
Serviceberry is an all-around great plant to have in the landscape. It has special value to pollinators, recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees and it is the host for 115 species of butterflies and moths in our area, including the beautiful Red-spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (nwf.org) and the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/)! If that were not enough, the berries provide food and shelter for the birds. Root suckers are common, and if not removed, will result in a shrubby growth habit for the plant. The berries are also edible to humans if you can get them before the birds.
Photo credit: Matt Levin (1), John Blair (2-3)
Serviceberry is an all-around great plant to have in the landscape. It has special value to pollinators, recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees and it is the host for 115 species of butterflies and moths in our area, including the beautiful Red-spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (nwf.org) and the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/)! If that were not enough, the berries provide food and shelter for the birds. Root suckers are common, and if not removed, will result in a shrubby growth habit for the plant. The berries are also edible to humans if you can get them before the birds.
Photo credit: Matt Levin (1), John Blair (2-3)
Serviceberry is an all-around great plant to have in the landscape. It has special value to pollinators, recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees and it is the host for 115 species of butterflies and moths in our area, including the beautiful Red-spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (nwf.org) and the threatened Canadian giant moth (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/)! If that were not enough, the berries provide food and shelter for the birds. Root suckers are common, and if not removed, will result in a shrubby growth habit for the plant. The berries are also edible to humans if you can get them before the birds.
Photo credit: Matt Levin (1), John Blair (2-3)
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium
Height: 4-15 feet
Plant Spacing: 6-8 feet
Bloom Time: April-June
Bloom Color: White
Advantages: Caterpillar Favorite, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant
Host Plant: Red-spotted Purple, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Polyphemus, Cecropia, and 111 other species of butterflies and moths use this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Beneficial for Endangered or Threatened Species: Canadian giant moth (Andropolia contacta) (mnfi.anr.msu.edu/)
