Saskatoon berry scientifically known as Amelanchier alnifolia is a medium sized shrub which belongs to the Rose family Rosaceae. It is closely related to the apple, hawthorn and mountain ash. The plant is native to North America from Alaska, Western Canada and western (southwards to North California, Utah and Colorado) and north central Unites States. In Canada, the species is found in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, North West Territories and Nunavut. The plant has gone by several names including Alderleaf serviceberry, Dwarf Service-berry, Alder Leaf Shadbush, Mountain Juneberry, Pacific Serviceberry, Rocky Mountain Blueberry, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Berry, Saskatoon Serviceberry, Serviceberry, Sarvisberry, Shadbush, Juneberry, Western Serviceberry, Western Shadbush, Shadberries, Sugar pears, Indian pears, chuckley pear, western juneberry, dwarf shadbush and prairie berry. Historically, it was also called pigeon berry. It is a common shrub in the forest understory.

The name saskatoon is derived from the indigenous Cree word misâskwatômina, and the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, is so-named because of the abundance of this wild edible plant found there prior to urbanization. Specific epithet means leaves like the genus Alnus in reference to the similarity of the leaves of this species to common alder. The First Nations peoples had great respect for the saskatoon that was dried and mixed with buffalo tallow to be stored and consumed over the long frigid winters as a vital energy and survival food called pemmican. Pemmican, hundreds of years old has been discovered to have many of the same health virtues of the original berry-buffalo fat formulation.

Saskatoon Facts

Saskatoon Quick Facts
Name:	Saskatoon
Scientific Name:	Amelanchier alnifolia
Origin	North America from Alaska, Western Canada and western (southwards to North California, Utah and Colorado) and north central Unites States
Colors	Dark, reddish purple to nearly black
Shapes	Pome, globose to subglobose, 7–15 mm across, glabrous, wax-coated, maroon-purple, juicy and sweet
Taste	Excellent sweet, nutty almond ﬂavor

Name	Saskatoon
Scientific Name	Amelanchier alnifolia
Native	North America from Alaska, Western Canada and western (southwards to North California, Utah and Colorado) and north central Unites States. In Canada, the species is found in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, North West Territories and Nunavut
Common Names	Alderleaf serviceberry, Dwarf Service-berry, Alder Leaf Shadbush, Mountain Juneberry, Pacific Serviceberry, Rocky Mountain Blueberry, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Berry, Saskatoon Serviceberry, Serviceberry, Sarvisberry, Shadbush, Juneberry, Western Serviceberry, Western Shadbush, Shadberries, Sugar pears, Indian pears, chuckley pear, western juneberry, dwarf shadbush, prairie berry, pigeon berry
Name in Other Languages	Azerbaijani: Qızılağacyarpaq iqra Canada: Hlighag, Saskatoon, Sgan Gam Cree: Saskahtômina Czech: Muchovník olšolistý Danish: Ellebladet bærmispel English: Pacific serviceberry, Saskatoon serviceberry, Juneberry, Saskatoon, Saskatoon-berry, Western juneberry, Western serviceberry, Western shadbush, Northwestern serviceberry, alder-leaf serviceberry Estonian: Lepalehine toompihlakas Finnish: Marjatuomipihlaja French: Amélanchier à feuilles d’aulne, Amélanchier à feuille d’aulne German: Erlenblättrige Felsenbirne Icelandic: Hlíðaramall Japanese: Sasukato~ūn berī (サスカトゥーン・ベリー) Navajo: Dzidzé ditʼódí Norwegian: Taggblåhegg, Taggblåhegg Persian: توتین سسکتون Russian: Irga ol’kholistnaya (Ирга ольхолистная) Swedish: Grovsågad häggmispel, Marjatuomipihlaja, Sen häggmispel, Bärhäggmispel, Saskatoonbär, Västamerikansk Häggmispel
Plant Growth Habit	Low growing, deciduous, medium to large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree
Growing Climates	Thickets, woodland edges, banks of streams, canyons and hill-sides from plains to subalpine, moist to dry forest, grasslands, meadows, avalanche slopes
Soil	Prefers a rich, coarse, light textured, well-drained loamy soil with high organic matter, but will grow in any sandy or clayey soil that is not water-logged or too dry. It is quite drought tolerant and is also salt tolerant. It thrives in a sunny position or semi-shade
Plant Size	1–8 m (3–26 ft.) tall and rarely to 10 m or 33 ft., in height
Twigs	Slender and smooth, reddish brown when young but turning gray-brown with age; buds about 1/2 inches long with red, imbricate scales that are hairy along the margin.
Bark	Thin, light brown and tinged with red; smooth or shallowly fissured
Leaf	Alternate, simple, oval-obovate to nearly round, 2–5 cm ((3⁄4–2 in) long and 1 –4.5 cm ((1⁄2–1 3⁄4 in) wide, pinnately-veined with a rounded to sub-acute apex, rounded bases, finely serrated margin
Flowering season	April through July
Flower	White, with five quite separate petals. They are about 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1 1⁄4 in) across, and appear on short racemes of three to 20 somewhat crowded together
Fruit Shape & Size	Small, globose to subglobose, edible berries that are 5–15 mm (3⁄16–19⁄32 in) in diameter, glabrous, wax-coated, juicy and sweet
Fruit Color	Dark, reddish purple to nearly black
Seed	3 mm long and 2 mm wide ovoid to kidney-shaped, little bumps on leathery surface, red-brown
Taste	Excellent sweet, nutty almond ﬂavor
Season	Late June and early July

Plant Description

Saskatoon is a low growing, deciduous, medium to large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree that normally grows about 1–8 m (3–26 ft.) tall and rarely to 10 m or 33 ft., in height. The plant is found growing in thickets, woodland edges, and banks of streams, canyons and hill-sides from plains to subalpine, moist to dry forest, grasslands, meadows and avalanche slopes. The plant prefers rich, coarse, light textured, well-drained loamy soil with high organic matter, but will grow in any sandy or clayey soil that is not water-logged or too dry. It is quite drought tolerant and is also salt tolerant. It thrives in a sunny position or semi-shade. Twigs are slender and smooth, reddish brown when young but turning gray-brown with age. Buds are about 1/2 inch long with red, imbricate scales that are hairy along the margin.

Leaves

Leaves are alternate, simple, oval-obovate to nearly round, 2–5 cm ((3⁄4–2 in) long and 1 –4.5 cm ((1⁄2–1 3⁄4 in) wide, pinnately-veined with a rounded to sub-acute apex, rounded bases, finely serrated margin, and born on 1–2 cm long slender petioles. Very young leaves are conduplicate in bud; less than half-expanded and unfolded, pubescent abaxially. They are usually gray-pubescent on the lower surface. Foliage turns variable shades of yellow in autumn. The foliage is browsed by deer, elk, rabbits, and livestock.

Flowers

Flowers are white, with five quite separate petals. They are about 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1 1⁄4 in) across, and appear on short racemes of three to 20 somewhat crowded together, in spring while the new leaves are still expanding. Flower has campanulate hypanthia, pubescent sepals erect or loosely spreading after flowering, 5 white broadly linear to oblong, 1–2 cm petals, 15–20 stamens, glabrous to pubescent ovary with 5 styles. Flowering normally takes place in between April through July.

Fruit

Fertile flowers give way to small, globose to subglobose, edible berries that are 5–15 mm (3⁄16–19⁄32 in) in diameter, glabrous, wax-coated, juicy and sweet. The fruit ripen to dark purplish-black in June and resemble blueberries in size, color and taste. Fruit usually consists of nine seeds per pome. Seeds are 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, ovoid to kidney-shaped, little bumps on leathery surface and red-brown colored. Berries may be eaten fresh off the plant or used in jams, jellies and pies. They are eaten by wildlife including birds, squirrels and bears. It is also a larval host to the pale tiger swallowtail, two-tailed swallowtail, and the western tiger swallowtail.

Saskatoon Image Gallery

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Health benefits of Saskatoon

It is believed that Native Americans used the Saskatoon berries for medicinal purposes. Today, Saskatoon berries are vastly admired for their antioxidant content, specifically phenolics, flavonols and anthocyanins. Flavonoids are antioxidants that may have inflammatory, anti-diabetic and chemo-protective effects. Listed below are few of the health benefits of Saskatoon

1. Slow Down the Aging Process and Trigger Better Genetic Signaling

Saskatoon berries have a higher level of anthocyanin than most berries. Research show that the anthocyanins found in berries may have health benefits such as anti-inflammatory qualities and reducing age-associated oxidative stress. Anthocyanin antioxidants found in berries may also improve cardiovascular disorders and degenerative diseases, as well as improve neuronal and cognitive brain functions, ocular health as well as protect genomic DNA integrity. Research has showed that Saskatoon berries may be beneficial for fruit growers as well as nutraceutical manufacturers because of their high anthocyanin content. Overall, berry anthocyanins may promote disease prevention by triggering genetic signaling in humans.

2. Age Gracefully on the Inside and the Outside

Perhaps the most important part of the Saskatoon berry that sets it apart from other berries is its ability to be successful in treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, as well as ischemic diseases and aging effects. This is because the anthocyanins in berries are special and consists of anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-proliferative properties. These qualities are especially important in brain health as oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. As we get older, the brain is more susceptible to oxidative stress and tissue damage than any other organ. The anthocyanins found in Saskatoon berries have been shown to protect against brain damage and improve memory, learning and cognitive function.