Canadian serviceberry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canadian serviceberry |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The Amelanchier canadensis is a special plant known by many names! Some people call it the Canadian serviceberry, juneberry, or shadbush. It's a type of plant that grows naturally in eastern North America. You can find it in Canada, from Newfoundland and Labrador all the way to southern Ontario. In the United States, it grows from Maine down to Alabama. This plant usually likes to grow in wet places, especially near the Atlantic coastal plain, from sea level up to about 200 meters high.
Contents
How It Grows
The Canadian serviceberry is a deciduous shrub or a small tree. "Deciduous" means it loses its leaves in the fall. It can grow from about half a meter to 8 meters tall. It often has many stems and a narrow, upright shape.
Leaves, Flowers, and Fruit
Its leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are simple and shaped like an oval, about 1 to 5.5 centimeters long. The leaves are soft and fuzzy underneath. They have jagged edges and a short stem called a petiole.
The flowers appear early in spring. They grow in loose clusters, about 4 to 6 centimeters long, at the ends of the branches. Each cluster has four to ten flowers. Each flower has five white petals, about 7.6 to 11 millimeters long. It also has 20 stamens, which are the parts that make pollen.
The fruit is a small, round berry called a pome. It is about 7 to 10 millimeters wide. When it's ripe, it turns a dark purple color. The fruit is sweet and safe to eat. These fruits are usually ready to pick in June and July in the places where the plant grows naturally.
What It's Used For
The Canadian serviceberry is a very useful plant!
Food and Medicine
People use it as a medicinal plant for health purposes. The sweet fruits are also a good source of food. They can be eaten fresh or used in jams and pies.
Gardens and Art
It's also a popular ornamental plant. This means people grow it in their gardens because it looks beautiful, especially when it flowers in spring. Sometimes, people even use it to create bonsai. Bonsai is an art form where you grow small trees in pots and shape them to look like miniature versions of full-sized trees.
See also
In Spanish: Guillomo canadiense para niños
