When to plant serviceberry in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Plant serviceberry shrubs Mar 1 – Apr 26. In Bend: Apr 28 – Jun 23. Find your city below.
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.
Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant serviceberry shrubs on your city's dates, 6 to 10 feet apart. Same depth as in the pot or nursery.
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.
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.
Key numbers
2–4Years to fruit
Self-fertilePollination
June–JulyHarvest
Very hardyCold hardiness
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.
Common questions about growing serviceberry
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.
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