Amelanchier

[anita]

Are all the genus Amelanchier berries called Saskatoon (June, service) -berries? Has anyone heard of Amelanchier oblongata? I was told that this is the name of a plant that lives near me, but haven't found anything about that species.

[Alchemille]

I've had amelanchier berries jam, when I was still living in France.
I found a website where the say that amelanchier oblongata is synonym to amelanchier canadensis. Maybe you'll have more luck finding some stuff with that 2nd name.
http://www.bgbm.org/IOPI/GPC/PTaxonDeta ... PTRefFk=25

Amelanchier canadensis http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology ... cfm?ID=850

Hope this helps a little bit, I know it's not always easy to identify edible/medicinal trees...

Alchemille

[anita]

Great, thanks Alchemille! Knowing that A. oblongata and A. canadensis are the same is a huge help, as there is a lot of info about the latter.

[anita]

ok, I think I've worked out the ID stuff... The tree I'm looking at is not A. oblongata (= A. canadensis), but A. oblongfolia (= A. arborea).

A. oblongfolia or A. arborea is commonly called serviceberry or juneberry or shadbush (apparently because it blooms here when the shad swim up the Delaware River).

Saskatoon berries are A. alnifolia, native to Canada and the northen plains of the USA.