Product Code Database
Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon berry, Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, western shadbush, or western juneberry, is a shrub native to North America. It is a member of the Rosaceae, and bears an edible berry-like fruit.
As with all species in the genus Amelanchier, the flowers are white, with five quite separate petals and five sepals. In A. alnifolia, they are about across, with 20 stamens and five styles, appearing on short of 3–20, somewhat crowded together, blooming from April to July.
The fruit is a small purple pome in diameter, ripening in early summer. It has a Epicuticular wax. Saskatoon species can be relatively difficult to distinguish.
The specific epithet alnifolia is a feminine Latin adjective. It is a compound of the Latin word for "alder", , and the word for "leaf", .
Historically, it was also called pigeon berry.Schorger, A.W. 1955. The Passenger Pigeon; its natural history and extinction. The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison.
"Service berry" appears to be a name applied by European immigrants who found it similar in appearance to the European "service tree" plants of genus Sorbus and Cormus domestica.
The foliage is browsed by deer, elk, rabbits, and livestock. The fruit are eaten by wildlife including birds, squirrels, and bears.
Saskatoons are adaptable to most soil types with exception of poorly drained or heavy clay soils lacking organic matter. Shallow soils should be avoided, especially if the water table is high or erratic. Winter hardiness is exceptional, but frost can damage blooms as late as May. Large amounts of sunshine are needed for fruit ripening.
In 2004, the British Food Standards Agency suspended saskatoon berries from retail sales pending safety testing; the ban eventually was lifted after pressure from the European Union.
The saskatoon berry pie has become iconic on the Canadian prairies.
Chemistry
Saskatoons have total polyphenol content of 452 milligrams per 100 grams (average of 'Smoky' and 'Northline' ), (61 mg) and (178 mg), although others have found the phenolic values to be either lower in the 'Smoky' cultivar or higher. Quercetin, cyanidin, delphinidin, pelargonidin, petunidin, peonidin, and malvidin were present in saskatoon berries.
Taxonomy
Varieties
The three varieties are:University of Maine: Amelanchier list of taxa
Etymology
The name saskatoon derives from the Cree language inanimate noun ᒥᓵᐢᐠᐘᑑᒥᓇ misâskwatômina (ᒥᓵᐢᐠᐘᑑᒥᐣ misâskwatômin , 'saskatoonberry', misâskwatômina 'saskatoonberries').
Distribution and habitat
The plant is present from Alaska across most of western Canada and in the western and north-central United States. It grows from sea level in the north of the range, up to elevation in California and in the Rocky Mountains. It is a common shrub in the forest understory, as well as canyons.
Ecology
A. alnifolia is susceptible to cedar-apple rust, Entomosporium leaf spot, fireblight, monilinia, Cytospora canker, powdery mildew, and blackleaf. Problem insects include , thrips, , , saskatoon sawfly, and pear slug sawflies. It is also a larval host to the pale tiger swallowtail, two-tailed swallowtail, and the western tiger swallowtail.The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.
Cultivation
Seedlings are planted with between rows and between plants. An individual bush may bear fruit 30 or more years.
Nutrients in raw saskatoon berries Energy 85 kcal Total dietary fiber 5.9 g 20% Sugars, total 11.4 g 8% Calcium 42 mg 4% Magnesium 24 mg 6% Iron 1 mg 12% Manganese 1.4 mg 70% Potassium 162 mg 3% Sodium 0.5 mg 0% Vitamin C 3.6 mg 4% Vitamin A 11 IU 1% Vitamin E 1.1 mg 7% Folate 4.6 μg 1% Riboflavin 3.5 mg > 100% Panthothenic acid 0.3 mg 6% Pyridoxine 0.03 mg 2% Biotin 20 μg 67%
Uses
Nutrition
Saskatoon berries contain significant amounts of total dietary fiber, riboflavin and biotin, and the , iron and manganese, a nutrient profile similar to the content of blueberries.
Culinary
With a sweet, nutty taste, the fruits have long been eaten by Indigenous peoples in Canada, fresh or dried. They are well known as an ingredient in pemmican, a preparation of dried meat to which saskatoon berries are added as flavour and preservative. They are used in saskatoon berry pie, jam, wine, cider, beers, and sugar-infused berries similar to dried cranberries used for , trail mix, and snack foods.
In culture
The city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is named after the berry; the city is also home to a baseball team called the Saskatoon Berries.
External links
Categories: Alnifolia, Indigenous Cuisine In Canada, Plants Used In Native American Cuisine, Trees Of Northern America, Flora Of Subarctic America, Flora Of Western Canada, Flora Of Ontario, Flora Of The Northwestern United States, Flora Of The Southwestern United States, Flora Of The North-central United States, Flora Of The South-central United States
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