Serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.)
Serviceberry is a native multi-stemmed shrub or a small tree that has a number of species that difficult to identify and differentiate. They have very similar characteristics, but more confusing is the fact that they interbreed easily producing many hybrids. This technical problem is made worse because this tree has a gazillion local names; well at least more than twenty. So while I give you four Serviceberry species in this section, they all have a similar look. Serviceberries had value long before they became landscape trees. Native Americans used the wood of Serviceberry for arrows, spears, and crosspieces for canoes. The juice of the berries was used as a dye.