Downy Serviceberry—Amelanchier arborea

Small | Deciduous | Height: 15-25 feet | Spread: 15-25

This small deciduous tree is native to eastern North America. The foliage turns purple and then intense bright scarlet in autumn. It tolerates full to part sun, many soil types and average to moist soil conditions. It has a multi-stemmed habit as a small tree or, if the root suckers are not removed, it will attain a more shrubby-like form. In the spring, fragrant five-petaled, white flowers mature, followed by finely toothed leaves with a hairy underside. The small tree produces a red to purple berry that matures in the late summer to fall. The berries have some resemblance to blueberries. Edible fruit can be eaten raw or cooked or used to make jams, jellies, and pies. 

Serviceberry attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators such as small eyed sphinx moth, as well as songbirds, including cedar waxwing, and small mammals.

More information on the characteristics and cultivation of this species can be found at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amelanchier-arborea