Plant Profile: Amelanchier spicata

Taxonomy: Amelanchier spicata

Names

Dwarf Serviceberry, Dwarf Shadbush

  • Photo of Amelanchier spicata (Amelanchier spicatas)

Phonetic Spelling:am-uh-LAN-kee-er spi-KAY-tuh

Genus:Amelanchier

Species:spicata

Family:Rosaceae

The Dwarf Serviceberry is a compact, deciduous shrub belonging to the rose family, commonly found in disturbed areas, meadows, forest peripheries, and open fields. This species is indigenous to North Carolina's coastal and Piedmont regions. Typically, it reaches heights and widths of 3 to 5 feet and can develop dense clusters. Once established, it demonstrates resilience to drought conditions.

For optimal growth, plant this shrub in well-drained soils that are moderately dry and preferably acidic, with exposure to full sun or partial shade. It serves well as a hedge, in naturalized landscapes, native gardens, and is particularly effective in attracting pollinators and birds.

For further details on Amelanchier, please refer to additional resources.

Amelanchier spicata Feature Summary

Amelanchier spicata Image Gallery

Tags

#small spaces
#drought tolerant
#wildlife plant
#native shrub
#dwarf
#NC native
#thickets
#red fruits
#disturbed areas
#black fruits
#food source herbage
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#bird friendly
#mammals
#food source soft mast fruit
#butterfly friendly
#butterfly larvae
#insects
#Piedmont Mountains FACU
#Coastal FACU
#pollinators
#bee friendly
#audubon

Similar Plants

Amelanchier spicata Feature Summary

Attributes
The fruits were an important food source for Native Americans and settlers
Eastern Canada, central and eastern U.S.A.
Fruits attract birds.
Fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. Have a sweet flavor.
Fruit
3/8 inch fleshy fruits start out red and mature to purple/black. Great food source for birds. Fruits are available late summer.
Red/Burgundy
Purple/Lavender
Black
< 1 inch
Flowers
1-inch white flowers with 5 petals have green sepals between the petals and bloom in dense clusters in March-April
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
1.5-3 inches long, simple, alternate leaves. Margins toothed on the upper 2/3s. Tip forms an abrupt point and base is rounded or slightly heart-shaped. Color is medium green, undersides paler with many hairs. Fall color variable from green to yellow or orange
Elliptical
1-3 inches
Bark
Mature bark is thin, smooth and ash gray with slightly darker strips
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Stem
Stems are reddish-brown. Winter buds have scales that overlap like shingles (i.e. one of the edges is covered and the other edge is exposed)
Brown/Copper
Gray/Silver
Smooth (glabrous)
Enclosed in more than 2 scales
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Native Plant
Multi-stemmed
Dense
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Woodland
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Small Space
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Small Mammals

Amelanchier spicata Attributes

Amelanchier spicata: Uses (Ethnobotany)

The fruits were an important food source for Native Americans and settlers

Amelanchier spicata: Country Or Region Of Origin

Eastern Canada, central and eastern U.S.A.

Amelanchier spicata: Wildlife Value

Fruits attract birds.

Amelanchier spicata: Edibility

Fruits can be eaten raw or cooked. Have a sweet flavor.

Amelanchier spicata: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Amelanchier spicata: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Amelanchier spicata Fruit

Amelanchier spicata: Fruit Description

3/8 inch fleshy fruits start out red and mature to purple/black. Great food source for birds. Fruits are available late summer.

Amelanchier spicata: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Amelanchier spicata: Fruit Color

grass
Black
grass
Purple/Lavender
grass
Red/Burgundy

Amelanchier spicata: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Amelanchier spicata: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Amelanchier spicata: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Amelanchier spicata: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Amelanchier spicata Flowers

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Description

1-inch white flowers with 5 petals have green sepals between the petals and bloom in dense clusters in March-April

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Color

filter_vintage
White

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Amelanchier spicata: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Amelanchier spicata Leaves

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Description

1.5-3 inches long, simple, alternate leaves. Margins toothed on the upper 2/3s. Tip forms an abrupt point and base is rounded or slightly heart-shaped. Color is medium green, undersides paler with many hairs. Fall color variable from green to yellow or orange

Amelanchier spicata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Amelanchier spicata: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color

spa
Gold/Yellow
spa
Orange

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Amelanchier spicata: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Amelanchier spicata: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Amelanchier spicata Bark

Amelanchier spicata: Bark Description

Mature bark is thin, smooth and ash gray with slightly darker strips

Amelanchier spicata: Bark Color

grass
Dark Gray
grass
Light Gray

Amelanchier spicata: Surface/Attachment

Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy

Amelanchier spicata Stem

Amelanchier spicata: Stem Description

Stems are reddish-brown. Winter buds have scales that overlap like shingles (i.e. one of the edges is covered and the other edge is exposed)

Amelanchier spicata: Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gray/Silver

Amelanchier spicata: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Amelanchier spicata: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Amelanchier spicata: Stem Bud Scales

Enclosed in 2 scales
Enclosed in a single cap like scale
Enclosed in more than 2 scales
No scales, covered in hair

Amelanchier spicata Whole Plant Traits

Amelanchier spicata: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Amelanchier spicata: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Amelanchier spicata: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Amelanchier spicata: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Amelanchier spicata: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Amelanchier spicata Cultural Conditions

Amelanchier spicata: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Amelanchier spicata: Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Amelanchier spicata: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Amelanchier spicata: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Amelanchier spicata: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Amelanchier spicata: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Amelanchier spicata Landscape

Amelanchier spicata: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Amelanchier spicata: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Amelanchier spicata: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Amelanchier spicata: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Amelanchier spicata: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees