Saskatoon Smokey

A cultivar of the alder-leafed amelanchier or saskatoon, Amelanchier alnifolia Smokey has much larger berries than the species, and is grown commercially for its fruit in Canada – it’s the best saskatoon for fruit. It’s a very pretty, small, deciduous tree or large shrub with a suckering habit, and the dark green leaves colour orange and crimson after a good summer. Snow-white flowers in April are followed in June by a heavy crop of large (1.5cm) deep purplish-red, juicy berries with a lovely flavour, which can be eaten fresh or used for baking and preserving – protect from birds, who love them. Saskatoon Smokey is easy to grow, needs little if any pruning and is an attractive specimen tree for the smaller garden.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any well-drained soil
Position: Full sun
Pick: June
Keep: Berries do not keep, but ripen over a long period
Hardiness: Fully hardy
Pollination: Self-fertile
Uses: Eating, cooking and preserving
Height: to 10’ (3m) Spread: to 10’ (3m)