Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
The serviceberry supplies a myth I must dispel. According to legend, it blooms at the time when the ground is clear enough for the preacher to ride the circuit to hold church services; and thawed enough to dig graves and hold funeral services. Not so! It is the usual etymological suspect: Latin. The word “sorbus” means reddish in color and refers to the berries. Over the centuries and through different languages it evolved into “service” and thus needed an explanation.
What’s so good about it? The serviceberry provides four season interest with white spring flowers, deep red summer berries, glorious amber waves of autumn color and silvery gray bark for winter. If you manage to pick the berries (they taste like sweet blueberries) before the birds get them, you can use them to make pies, jams and jellies; put them in muffins and puddings; dry them like raisins; simmer into syrup for pancakes or as a mixer with vodka and soda.
Quite adaptable and low maintenance, serviceberries make good borders, backdrops and screens. They like full sun to part shade and grow to around 15-25 feet high and to a similar width. Sounds like another great replacement for you know what.
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