RECN GARDENING INSIDE AND OUT

Jim Hruskoci, Extension Horticulture Specialist

Release: 02-25-06

Saskatoon berries - a small fruit with potential for Nebraska gardens

Most gardeners are familiar with blueberries, but their acidic soil requirement is enough to all but eliminate them as a possible small fruit for the high pH soils of Nebraska gardens. But what if you can grow a small fruit with nearly the same characteristics, appearances, tastes, and health benefits that not only does well in Nebraska, it excels? Very few know about it, even fewer have ever grown it. Its called the saskatoon berry.

Also known as serviceberry, June berry, mountain Juneberry, western shadbush, and Rocky Mountain blueberry, the saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) has been around for a long time, in the wild that is. The berry was once a major food source for native North American Indians and early settlers of southern Canada and the northern prairie States. Native Indians used the plant stems of the medium sized shrub to make arrows. It is a widely adapted plant native to the Canadian Prairies, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, Alaska, British Columbia and the northwestern and north central United States and grows as far south as Mexico. It tolerates a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. In contrast to many fruits that stretch their northern most limit to Nebraska, the saskatoon finds Nebraska in its southern range of adaptation. In fact, it would laugh at our Nebraska winters, it tolerates down to -75 F. That is significant since more fruits than not are lost to harsh over-wintering conditions, Nebraska may actually be at an advantage in raising this fruit crop

If it is found in Nebraska, its more likely to be in the landscape than the fruit garden. A few of the more than 25 North American cultivars of Amelanchier have been cultivated for landscape purposes and used as ornamentals or pruned into a hedge. They can also be considered for windbreaks or wildlife plantings. Since the plant is fairly drought tolerant, it makes an excellent choice for low-maintenance native plantings or xeroscapes. The bush or small tree reaching a height of 18 feet sports a showy mass of attractive white flowers in early spring. Fruits are later borne in clusters of 6 to 12 and mature to a purple, red or almost black color. Fruit size of the wild saskatoon ranges from 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter with some cultivated varieties having fruit sizes up to 5/8 inch, about the size of a blueberry..

Most commercial production of saskatoon berries is currently confined to Canada, primarily Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan where current demand exceeds supply. Canada is gearing up for what they see as a nearly unlimited market potential in the US once Americans become familiar with the fruit. The berries are eaten fresh, processed into jams and jellies, and made into pies, fruit rolls and wine. Berries are mildly sweet with a taste similar to blueberry. Although called a berry, the saskatoon is actually a pome fruit, with a flesh similar to apple or pear. The variety Smokey is the most widely planted commercial cultivar, growing 12 feet tall, a heavy producer of mildly sweet flavored fruit. Northline caught my eye, described as having very tasty fruit and growing 5 - 7 feet tall, vigorous and bearing at an early age.

Saskatoon berries not only taste good, they are good for you. Contained in many fruits and vegetables are the very powerful cancer-fighting compounds known as anti-oxidants. Blueberries are one of the champions for anti-oxidants among the fruit crops. A three-year study of the saskatoon berry has shown that the antioxidant activity is comparative to that of the blueberry, blackberry and grape seed extract. The study, Chemical Characterization and Antioxidant Evaluation of Saskatoon Berries, was carried out by Dr. David Kitts, professor, Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia. In other nutritional studies, the fruits were found to be higher in levels of protein, fat, fiber, calcium, magnesium, manganese, barium, and aluminum when compared with blueberries or strawberries. Saskatoons are also a source of manganese, magnesium, and iron for the human diet.

With all of these excellent qualities, why isn’t anyone raising saskatoons commercially in the US? Much of this may have to do with a lack of currently registered products for use in the US to raise saskatoons as a fruit crop, products such as herbicides, insecticides or fungicides. There are also difficulties in being able to obtain sufficient quantities of plants for producers to plant on a large scale. This is still a crop in its infancy, with many cultivars being developed or propagated from wild, native stands. Also, it would be a new, alternative crop, and as of yet there is a general lack of public knowledge of the fruit and its benefits. But this shouldn’t stop home gardeners from giving it a go. I would encourage it. Most sources of plants will be found in Canadian nurseries and sell for around $4 or $5 per plant for a 1 year old bare-root seedling. I found one nursery offering larger 3-year old plants for $10 each. Since the saskatoon plant usually starts bearing after 4 to 6 years, these older plants will have you tasting the delicious fruits that much sooner.

Want to know more? I’ve made it easy for you, just visit a website I’ve created, devoted to the saskatoon berry: http://hort4.unl.edu/fruit/saskatoon.html

I am so curious about the potential of the saskatoon, I plan to write for some grants to study its potential production in Nebraska as a home or commercial fruit crop. In the mean time, I can only order some plants to try in my home garden and I hope some of you will do the same. Let me know how its working out for you. Better yet invite me over for a taste of a fresh baked saskatoon pie.