Virginia Tech Dendrology

roundleaf serviceberry Rosaceae Amelanchier sanguinea (Pursh) DC. symbol: AMSA
Leaf: Alternate, simple, nearly round to somewhat ovate or obovate, pinnately-veined with veins reaching all the way to the margin, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, finely to coarsely serrate; base somewhat heart-shaped; green above, pale pubescent below when young.
Flower: Showy with 5 long (1/2 inch) strap-like white petals, borne on 2 inch sparsely pubescent racemes, appear before the leaves, in spring.
Fruit: Ripening in mid to late-summer, 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter, rounded, red ripening to dark purple or black, edible.
Twig: Slender, flexible, red when young but becoming red-brown in color, may be covered with fine hairs when young; buds may be up to 1/2 inch long, pointed, covered with scales, may have hairy margins, light yellow-green to reddish yellow.
Bark: Smooth when young, ashy-gray with dark stripes; later becoming rough with long splits and furrows.
Form: A single-stem or colony-forming straggling shrub to a very small tree with a narrow crown to 20 feet.
Looks like: shadblow serviceberry - downy serviceberry - Alleghany serviceberry - American beech

Additional Range Information: Amelanchier sanguinea is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information