'Smokey' Saskatoon Berry

Amelanchier alnifolia Origin: Alberta (via Manitoba) Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~20 BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED Life cycle: Perennial Also known as Pacific serviceberry, western juneberry, or western shadbush, the Saskatoon berry is the most widely consumed Amalanchier in western north America. Native from western Minnesota in the east to northern California in the west, and Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska in the south to northern Canada and Alaska in the north, it is a common understory plant in forests across its range. The name "Saskatoon" comes from the Cree name for the berries, misâskwatômina. This species has a long history of use by Indigenous peoples as both food and medicine. The berries are excellent raw and are also made into jams, jellies, syrups, beverages, and desserts.'Smokey', a cultivar developed in Alberta, is considered by many to be the best-tasting saskatoon berry out there, with large sweet blue-purple berries produced in immense qu