A cold hardy shrub with a tree-like habit and plentiful small white flowers, Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon Berry) could make a great container plant.
A member of the Rosaceae family and native to the pacific coast from Alaska to California and eastward into the plains, A. alnifolia is a wonderful addition to a wildlife garden. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), its twigs and foliage are of interest to ungulates (moose and white-tailed deer), numerous species ranging from black bears to hares eat the twigs, leaves, fruits and bark, and birds enjoy the fruits. In some areas, A. alnifolia is of particular importance to wildlife.
Photo by Watler Siegmund / Wikimedia CC
A. alnifolia would also be a good candidate for an edible native plant garden, as its berries are popular as a quick snack from the bush or a part of pie or jam.
Saskatoon berry is an ideal native plant to add to an ornamental garden or use in hedging, as it’s easy to grow, has beautiful foliage that changes from green to orange and red, and provides direct benefits to numerous fauna within the ecosystem.
With a fibrous root system, a tolerance for many soil types and conditions, and a shrub form, I believe that A. alnifolia and other Amelanchier species would be successful in containers. I look forward to attempting this – and sharing delicious results!
Sources
Alberta Plant Watch. (n.d.). Saskatoon. Saskatoon https://plantwatch.naturealberta.ca/choose-your-plants/saskatoon/index.html
Oregon State University. (n.d.). Landscape plants. Amelanchier alnifolia | Landscape Plants. https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/amelanchier-alnifolia
The University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Plant database. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=amal2
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). SPECIES: Amelanchier alnifolia. Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/amealn/all.html
