Smooth Serviceberry
Deciduous shrub or small tree reaching 4.5-9 m tall with smooth gray bark. Produces pendulous clusters of white flowers in early spring before leaves emerge. Edible purple fruits ripen in early summer. Leaves emerge with reddish-bronze color, turning dark green, then orange to red in fall. Prefers moist, well-drained soils but adaptable to various conditions. Tolerates partial shade to full sun. Excellent for multi-season interest, wildlife value, and natural landscaping.
Plant Details
Bloom Colour: White
Bloom Time: Spring
Sun Requirements: Sun to Part-Shade
Moisture: Moist-Drained
Phenology: Flower buds break in mid-April, blooming late April as leaves emerge bronze-purple. Leaves mature to dark green by late May. Fruits develop May, ripening to dark purple in late June-early July. Fall color begins late September, gold to red tones, leaves dropping by mid-October. Smooth gray bark prominent in winter.
Wildlife Value: High value wildlife plant; fruits eagerly consumed by over 35 bird species. Early spring blooms provide essential nectar for native bees and early pollinators. Multi-stemmed form offers excellent nesting habitat for songbirds. Larval host plant for several butterfly species. Fruits valued by black bears, foxes, and small mammals. Winter buds and twigs browsed by deer and grouse.
Habit Over Time: Typically grows as a small tree with a more singular trunk than A. canadensis, though can be multi-stemmed. Forms an upright oval crown with horizontal branches that create distinct layers. Less prone to suckering than other serviceberries, maintaining a more defined footprint. Branch structure provides strong winter interest.
Height: Tall (15-25 feet)