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Serviceberry branches covered in small white blossoms

Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant serviceberry

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.

Serviceberry, or Saskatoon, is a native small tree or large shrub in the rose family, grown for spring blossoms, edible fruit and red-orange fall color. The berries taste like a mild, almondy blueberry and are good fresh, in pies or in jam, if you beat the birds to them. Western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is the species native here.

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Puts serviceberry on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Spacing
6 to 10 feet apart
Planting depth
Same depth as in the pot or nursery
Frost
Hardy perennial; comes back every year
First harvest
First berries in two to four years

A native small tree or shrub (also called Saskatoon) with white spring flowers and blueberry-like fruit in early summer. Very cold-hardy, so it suits gardens on both sides of the Cascades.

Serviceberry planting dates

TownsPlant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WAMar 1 – Apr 26
Spokane, WAApr 1 – May 27
Boise and Meridian, IDMar 20 – May 15
Bend and Redmond, ORApr 28 – Jun 23
Astoria, ORMar 25 – May 20

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Serviceberry year at a glance

TaskJFMAMJJASOND
PlantMarApr
HarvestJunJul
In bloomApr

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.

How to grow serviceberry

  1. Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
  2. Plant serviceberry shrubs on your city's dates, 6 to 10 feet apart. Same depth as in the pot or nursery.
  3. Water through the first two summers. Prune out a few old stems in late winter to keep it productive, or train it to a single trunk as a small tree.
  4. Harvest: Pick in June or July when berries turn dark purple-blue and taste sweet. Net the shrub if you want to beat the birds.

Growing serviceberry in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Serviceberry grows well in west-side gardens. Rust can spot leaves and fruit in wet springs.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Western serviceberry grows wild across the dry east side and handles heat, cold and alkaline soil.

More serviceberry varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Western serviceberry

Native shrub or small tree · Ripens June to July

Amelanchier alnifolia, also called saskatoon, bears white spring flowers and sweet, blueberry-like fruit. Very hardy and drought-tolerant, it grows wild on both sides of the Cascades.

Both sides

Regent

Compact saskatoon selection · Ripens June to July

A compact, productive serviceberry that stays about 4 to 6 feet tall. Sweet, juicy berries and good fall color make it ideal for small gardens and hedges.

Both sides

Smoky

Saskatoon fruit selection · Ripens June to July

A widely grown fruiting selection with large, sweet, flavorful berries. Productive and very cold-hardy, it is a good choice for jam, pies and fresh eating.

Both sides

Northline

Saskatoon fruit selection · Ripens June to July

Large, sweet berries on a suckering, multi-stem shrub. It bears young and heavily and is one of the most popular saskatoon varieties for home fruit growers.

Both sides

Autumn Brilliance

Ornamental hybrid tree · Blooms April

A popular landscape serviceberry grown as a small tree, with white spring flowers and brilliant orange-red fall color. The fruit is edible, though birds usually get it first.

West side

How much to grow

How many to plant

One shrub or small tree as a feature, or several, 6 to 10 feet apart, for a hedge.

What to expect

A mature shrub gives a few quarts of berries.

Storing the harvest

Keep a few days in the fridge. Freeze on a tray, or bake into pies and muffins.

Key numbers

Top care tip: Water through the first two summers, then prune out a few old stems each late winter.

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

Where it grows wild

Western serviceberry, also called Saskatoon, grows on both sides of the Cascades, from dry eastern slopes and canyons to open woods and forest edges in the west. It's a shrub or small tree with clouds of white flowers in spring, sweet purple-blue fruit in early summer, and orange to red fall color.

Because it handles cold winters and dry summers, it's one of the few fruiting natives that does well almost anywhere in the region. Regent is a compact selection, and Smoky is known for sweet fruit.

Planting, pruning and pests

Serviceberry adapts to most well-drained soils in full sun to part shade, with more fruit in sun. Water through the first two summers. In late winter, remove a few of the oldest stems and any suckers you don't want, or train one strong stem as a small tree.

Rust, leaf spot and pear slug (small, slimy larvae that skeletonize leaves) show up in some years. Most are minor, and good airflow helps.

Harvest and wildlife value

Berries ripen in June or July and taste like a cross between a blueberry and an almond-scented cherry. Pick when they're dark purple-blue and sweet. They're delicious fresh, in pies or frozen.

Birds love them, which makes serviceberry a great wildlife plant and a frustrating fruit plant. Net the shrub just before the berries color if you want a full harvest. The spring flowers feed native bees early in the season.

Good neighbors

Grows well with

  • Red-flowering currant. The same sunny, well-drained spot.
  • Oregon sunshine and kinnikinnick. Low, drought-tolerant natives for the ground below.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with serviceberry in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Cedar-serviceberry rust

Signs: Orange spots and spiky growths on leaves and berries in wet springs.

What to do: Usually minor. Pick off affected fruit and keep junipers at a distance if you can.

Leaf spot

Signs: Brown spots in wet weather.

What to do: Rake up fallen leaves.

Birds

Signs: Berries vanish as they darken.

What to do: Net the shrub, or share.

Common questions about growing serviceberry

When should I plant serviceberry in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

What does serviceberry fruit taste like?

Sweet and mild, like a blueberry with a hint of almond from the small soft seeds. They're good fresh, baked into pies or made into jam.

Is serviceberry the same as Saskatoon?

Yes. Saskatoon is another common name for western serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia, the species native to the Northwest.

How do I keep birds from eating my serviceberries?

Cover the shrub with bird netting before the berries start to color. Smaller, compact varieties like Regent are easier to net.

Also on these lists:

See what else to plant in March or April.

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