By MIKE RALEY WPTF Weekend Gardener

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Many years ago, my family and I were visiting relatives in Ohio in early April. On the way back home it snowed, although it did not stick to the roads. It stopped snowing as we were coming down Fancy Gap mountain on the Virginia-North Carolina border, just north of Mount Airy. I have vivid memories of a tree with white blooms that caught my eye. It was a Serviceberry (Amelanchier) which is in the rose family. It is also called Shadbush, Shadblow, Juneberry, and Sugarplum. Native to all three regions of North Carolina and I had never seen one, so I read up on it and asked my “WPTF Weekend Gardener” co-host Anne Clapp about this interesting tree.

The Serviceberry in North Carolina prefers full sun to partial shade to deal with our growing conditions. We have acid soil in North Carolina so this tree is happy here. The Serviceberry is fairly drought tolerant. You are wise, however, to water well during the first year until the root system matures.

The standard Serviceberry will grow to a height of 15 to 25 feet tall.

When planting your serviceberry in the spring or fall, be sure to dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball and deep enough for the top of the root ball to just peek over the top of the ground surface. You may choose to place something like Permatill or other type of aggregate material at the bottom of the hole, add some water and fill in dirt, compost, or organic matter of some kind. Add two to three inches of hardwood mulch. Keep in mind the evaporation rates are much higher in the spring.

Fertilize your serviceberry lightly with a slow-release fertilizer. The extension service often recommends something in the realm of a 12-6-6. Root protection can be achieved with the use of hardwood mulch or pine straw. This will also provide nutrients.

All birders will like the Serviceberry since it produces berries that birds love and can be used by humans in the form of jelly. I must say I have never eaten a serviceberry or jelly made from the berries. The white flowers will service all kinds of pollinators well.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service has a recipe to share:

• 3.5 cups of serviceberry juice.
• 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• 6 tbsp pectin (Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin is a suggested brand).
• 5 cups granulated sugar

Prepare the serviceberry juice: You can extract juice by crushing the berries, adding a cup of water, bringing it to a boil, simmering for 10 minutes, and straining through a jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth.

Combine and dissolve: Pour the serviceberry juice and lemon juice into a large stainless steel pan. Add the pectin and stir until dissolved.

Boil and add sugar: Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar and return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.

Remove from heat and skim: Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any foam from the top.

Fill jars and process: Pour the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Heat-process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes.

There are a few varieties and cultivars that will work well in North Carolina. “Allegheny Serviceberry” is a native species found in western North Carolina. The Downy Serviceberry is also native and the folks at NC State say that you normally find the “Amelanchier aborea” in woodland areas of the states. “Robin Hill” has pink buds that eventually fade. “Autumn Brilliance” is known for its really good fall color. “Princess Diana” is also a popular variety and is much like “Autumn Brilliance.” “Cumulus” is an upright variety. “Dwarf Serviceberry” is smaller than the standard varieties and will save you some space.

The scientists at NC State University say Serviceberry insect pests include leafminers, spider mites, aphids, peach borer and scale. Diseases can include powdery mildew, cedar apple rust, fire blight and a few others. I’m not sure if I have enticed you to search for serviceberry. But it is after all a native tree with an interesting history which saw European settlers waiting for the blooms to appear as a sign of thawing ground and a time for burial services. I rarely see them in local nurseries, so you will have to ask if they can order one.