Monday, June 27, 2022

Guide to Amelenchier spp. Serviceberries, Juneberries, Shadbushes

 I only know how to separate them when they are blooming. We have four common species (and two very rare) 

A. arborea: common serviceberry

A. canadensis: Canadian serviceberry

A. laevis: smooth shadbush

A. spicata: dwarf serviceberry


The rare ones:

A. sanguinea: roundleaf shadbush (this is a northern species)

A. bartramiana: Bartram's shadbush (a more common northern species)


When flowering:

- leaves 1/4 grown: dwarf

- leaves much less than half grown: common

- leaves half grown: smooth

- leaves still folded: Canadian


Leaves:

- nearly smooth: smooth

- hairy: the other three


Leaf tip: 

- pointed: common or smooth

- round-tipped but maybe with a bristle: Canadian

- any shape: dwarf


Leaf base:

- tapered: common, Canadian, or dwarf

- not tapered: smooth or dwarf


Flower stem:

- silky: common

- hairy: Canadian

- smooth: smooth

- with thin hair: dwarf


So: 

Common: tiny leaves at flowering, very hairy, pointed on both ends

Canadian: larger leaves at flowering, with round, maybe bristle-tipped ends, hairy

Smooth: moderate leaves at flowering, everything is smooth, leaf base not tapered

Dwarf: tiny leaves at flowering, very hairy, a much smaller plant than the common. 


Roundleaf: has rounder leaves with veins that go all the way to the teeth

Bartram's: smooth, and with very few flowers

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