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Native Plant Propagation Guidelines:
shrubs

Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon)

Category: 
shrubs

photo by Dave Polster

Shrub to small tree, 1-5 m tall, stem smooth, bark dark-grey to reddish, often spreading by rhizomes or rooting branch ends to form dense colonies. Leaves alternate, deciduous, thin, round to oval, regularly toothed mostly on the outer half of the leaf. Flowers white, large (1-2.5 cm across), five petals, 15-20 stamens, showy, in short, drooping, leafy clusters of 3-20 blossoms. Fruit a berry-like pome, dull-red at first, becoming purple to nearly black, with a white bloom (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994). Photo by Dave Polster.

Scientific Name: 

Amelanchier alnifolia

Family: 
Rosaceae
English Name: 
Saskatoon
Other Names: 
serviceberry

Geographical Range and Habitat Requirements

Ecological Setting: 

Rocky shorelines, bluffs, talus slopes meadows, dry to moist open forests. Scattered from low to mid-elevations (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

Soil Texture: 

Coarse textured, free-draining (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

Nutrients: 

Nitrogen-medium soils (Klinka et al., 1995).

Soil Reaction and Salinity: 

Moderately acidic to mildly alkaline.

Moisture Regime: 

Dry to fresh (Klinka et al., 1995).

Shade Tolerance: 

Sun to light shade (Klinka et al., 1995).

Successional Status: 

Early seral species on disturbed moist sites. Climax species on dryer sites, particularly southern exposures (Klinka et al., 1995).

BEC Zone and GOE Community Status: 

BG, BWBS, CDF, CWH, ESSF, ICH, IDF, IWCW, IWHW, MH, MS, PP, PPBG, SAES, SAWS, SBPS, SBS, SBWS, SWB, SWBS (E-Flora BC)

Uses

Site Rehabilitation: 

Excellent reclamation species. Drought tolerant once established. Good soil stabilization properties. Very adaptable.

Wildlife: 

Fruit eaten by a wide range of birds and mammals. Preferred browsed species for many wild ungulates. Wildlife keystone species.

Landscaping: 

Showy, abundant blossoms. Good fall colour. Attracts wildlife to the urban garden. Use as a single specimen, hedge or background to borders (S. Bastin, pers. comm.). Horticultural varieties have been developed from many prairie species for commercial and garden use (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

First Nations: 

Berries highly regarded by almost all aboriginal groups, particularly in the interior, and were dried into cakes for storage.

Other Uses: 

Being grown commercially in prairie Provinces. Saskatoon berries are the second largest fruit crop in Manitoba (anonymous 2, 2001).

Seed Propagation

Flowering Time: 

May to June

Fruit Ripening Time: 

Late June to early July

Seed Collection Time: 

mid–July

Crop Intervals: 

Annual or three to five years depending on provenance

Number of Seeds per Kilogram: 

80,025 to 250,885 (Brinkman, 1974)

Seed Viability: 

Large per cent is infertile. Sorted, moist-stratified seed germinates at 50–70%. (anonymous 4, no date).

Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction: 

Collections are often missed due to the very early fruit ripening. Fruits ripen in stages so plan collection activities accordingly. Collect as soon as ripe to reduce losses due to birds. Hand strip fruits from plant into collection bags. Macerate in water immediately. Fruits tend to overheat which negatively affects seed viability. Spread seeds in a thin layer to dry, but don't over-dry if putting into stratification soon. [Fruit and Seed Collection and Extraction (Banerjee et al., 2001; Brinkman, 1974)]

Seed Storage: 

Dried seeds will remain viable for up to five years if stored at 5º C (Brinkman, 1974).

Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment: 

Sterilize seed to prevent mould by soaking in 5–10% H2O2 for 15 minutes. Soak for 24 hours and then cold-stratify for 120 days at 1–6º C. Check regularly after 100 days for germination. Fall sowing also gives good success. Seeds can germinate at 3–5º C but best germination occurs at 24º C day/20º C night. Sow in a sandy soil to a depth of 0.5 cm and mulch until germination. Seedlings prefer light shade after germination. [Fruit/Seed Dormancy and Treatment (Brinkman, 1974, Hudson and Carlson, 1998)]

Vegetative Propagation

Method Success Rate Time of Collection
Softwood cuttings Moderate – good Before buds set
Semi-hardwood cuttings Moderate – good Spring to summer (Hosokawa, 2004)
Hardwood cuttings Low Fall to winter
Root cuttings: Take cuttings 0.6 cm diameter x 5 cm long stuck vertically in rows 5 cm apart with the proximal end at soil level and covered with 1.5 cm of perlite. Good December to February
Suckers: Remove suckers by cutting with a sharp spade. Wash off excess soil, cut back the stem and trim the root system. Plant division in pots, beds or open ground. Excellent Early spring
Plant division High Early spring (Anonymous 1, 2006)

 

Outplanting Characteristics and Requirements

Plant containerized seedlings in early spring (cold regions) or fall. “Planting material should be between 15 cm and 60 cm in height with extensive fibrous root systems for best results. Moist soil, mulch, and partial shade enhance survival and growth. Bare-root stock may be planted in early spring. Two-year-old seedlings may be lifted in fall and stored at 33° F (1° C) until planting”. Irrigate for first growing season (anonymous 4, 2006). Prune only if absolutely necessary. Best shape if unpruned (S. Bastin, pers. comm.)

Seed and Cutting Propagation Techniques

Sow in sandy soil to a depth of 0.5 cm and keep mulched until germination, which usually takes place the following spring (Rose et al.). Take softwood cuttings “when growth is several inches long” and dip in 3000 ppm IBA-talc. Root in two parts perlite to one part peat moss and mist. Do not plant until each cutting has at least three roots (Dirr and Heuser, 1987). Take one-year old, fleshy roots the diameter of a pencil, from as close to the crown of the plant as possible. Cut roots to 5 cm in length with a horizontal cut at the proximal end and slanted cut at the distal end. Treat cuttings with a fungicide before sticking vertically in rows, 5 cm apart, with the proximal end at soil level, and covered with 1.5 am of perlite (Rose et al.). For division, remove suckers by cutting with a sharp spade. Wash off excess soil. Cut back the stem and trim the root system. Plant the division in pots, beds, or open ground. (Rose et al.).

Additional Information and Photos

For more information and pictures, visit the E-Flora BC website at www.eflora.bc.ca.