Amelanchier lamarckii, also called juneberry, serviceberry or shadbush, is a large deciduous flowering shrub or small tree in the family Rosaceae. It is widely naturalised in Europe, where it is known as snowy mespilus or snowy mespil.
Amelanchier lamarckii is of unknown origin. Although generally considered to be a distinct North American species, some experts believe it to be a naturally occurring hybrid that comes true from seed and designate it as A. x lamarckii. This serviceberry is a deciduous, understory tree or tall shrub that typically grows 15-25’ tall. It is very similar in appearance to A. laevis, with the exception that its young stems and leaves are sericeous (silky haired) whereas those of A. laevis are smooth. Otherwise both plants feature showy, 5-petaled, slightly fragrant, white flowers in drooping clusters that appear in early spring (April) before the leaves. Flowers give way to small, round, edible berries which ripen to dark purplish-black in June and resemble blueberries in size, color and taste. Berries are often used in jams, jellies and pies.
