woodland shrub

Saskatoon

Amelanchier alnifolia

Native to the Pacific Coast, the Rockies, and the Southwest and southern Canada

Southern Manitoba to Alaska, south to northwestern Iowa, northern Nebraska, New Mexico, Arizona and California

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
Zones 1–9 Cold to heat range
Bloom Apr–Jun Flowering time
Height 4–15 ft 1.2–4.6 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland shrub for sun through shade and dry to moist soil. Its white flowers peak in May. At 4–15 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 1–9.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Saskatoon's white flowers bloom April to June, peaking in May. This late-spring display draws bees and butterflies.

Saskatoon blooms whiteFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Black-tailed Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Red-belted Bumble Bee, Orange-legged Furrow Bee +9 more
Nevada Bumble Bee, Great Basin Bumble Bee, Nearctic Bumble Bee, Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Prunus Miner Bee, White-shouldered Bumble Bee, Willow Flower Miner Bee, Andrena sp., Milwaukee Mining Bee
Butterflies Mourning Cloak

also Anise Swallowtail, Red-disked Alpine, Clossiana toddi ammiralis +1 more
Compton Tortoiseshell
Beetles Asian Lady Beetle also Striped Cucumber Beetle, Two-spotted Lady Beetle
Also visited by
- Wasps: Golden Paper Wasp, Mischocyttarus flavitarsis
- Flower flies: Margined Calligrapher

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Mourning cloaknectar
Silver-bordered fritillarynectar

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: The Pacific Coast, the Rockies, and the Southwest and southern CanadaUnited States (15): AK, CA, CO, IA, ID, MN, MT, ND, NE, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY. Canada (6): AB, BC, MB, NT, SK, YT. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Southern Manitoba to Alaska, south to northwestern Iowa, northern Nebraska, New Mexico, Arizona and CaliforniaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 1–9 · Canadian 0–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Well-drained soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 4.8–8.4The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Drought tolerance: HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
Salinity tolerance: LowHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: HighHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: 4–15 ft (1.2–4.6 m)Typical mature height.
Spread: ~10 ft (3 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 24+ in (61+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Apr–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: WhiteThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: Pome; ripens May–AugThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, cuttings, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.1 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: HighHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: ModerateWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.