Smokey Saskatoon

Other Names: Juneberry

Description:

A choice and extremely hardy variety with beautiful white flowers in early spring and very sweet berries in June; extremely versatile shrub for edible landscapes; some suckering with age

Ornamental Features:

Smokey Saskatoon has dark green foliage throughout the season. The oval leaves turn an outstanding yellow in the fall. It is bathed in stunning clusters of white flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid spring before the leaves. It features an abundance of magnificent blue berries in late spring, which are excellent for fresh eating, cooking and baking and making jams and jellies. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit. The smooth silver bark is not particularly outstanding.

Landscape Attributes:

Smokey Saskatoon is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Smokey Saskatoon is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Hedges/Screening

Plant Characteristics:

Smokey Saskatoon will grow to be about 12 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 25 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution.

This is a selection of a native North American species.