Flower profile

Saskatoon

Amelanchier alnifolia

Native in the lower 48

Saskatoon is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

16states

4of our state lists

10,011U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon berry, Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, western shadbush, or western juneberry, is a shrub native to North America. It is a member of the rose family, and bears an edible berry-like fruit.
From Wikipedia's article Amelanchier alnifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 16 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho. ^NatureServe
In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 15 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 3,343 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #52 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,287 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #70 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,888 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #7 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist

Saskatoon gift ideas

Handmade saskatoon gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Saskatoon art print
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Saskatoon greeting card
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Saskatoon mug
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Saskatoon earrings
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Saskatoon embroidery pattern
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Saskatoon sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,006 records)

Bloom time in each of our 4 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Washington	Native	April–May	3,343
Oregon	Native	April–June	2,287
Montana	Native	April–June	1,888
Idaho	Native	March–May	615

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Montana.
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1), WI (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The fruit is edible” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records saskatoon in 16 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Washington counties with USDA records: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, Yamhill.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Blaine, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Granite, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Powell, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Stillwater, Teton, Treasure, Valley, Wibaux.

More Washington flowers

Roses (genus Rosa)

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Thimbleberry

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Trailing blackberry

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile AMAL2.
iNaturalist, Amelanchier alnifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Amelanchier alnifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Amelanchier alnifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Piotr Lukasik via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.