Juneberries?

[Jennifer L.]

I keep reading the fruit from these trees taste like blueberries. Is this true or is it just a ploy to sell these plants?

Jennifer

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by Jennifer L.

I keep reading the fruit from these trees taste like blueberries. Is this true or is it just a ploy to sell these plants?

Jennifer

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Downy Serviceberry
(Juneberry, Shadbush)
Amelanchier arborea
This small tree has light gray, smooth bark with distinctive longitudinal darker streaks. The bark becomes furrowed with narrow ridges on older trunks. The twigs are reddish-brown or olive green in color, and often are covered with white hairs when young. The Downy Serviceberry grows in moist soils of stream banks, woodland borders, and fencerows. Also it commonly is found scattered through forests, particularly on slopes. The Downy Serviceberry ranges throughout most of the eastern United States westward to Kansas and Oklahoma. It grows widely in Ohio except for areas of limestone-based soils in the western part of the state. Although hard and strong, the wood warps and checks during drying and is not suitable for woodworking. It occasionally is used for making tool handles. The fruits are not tasty for humans, but many wild birds and wild mammals feed on them avidly. Sometimes people plant this tree as an ornamental
--Thought this might help. Randy

[Up North]

I don't think they taste like blueberries but they are very sweet and tasty. We have them growing wild all over the place. Makes for a long job bringing in the cows when there are ripe Juneberries to eat along the way!

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Fire-Man

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The fruits are not tasty for humans, but many wild birds and wild mammals feed on them avidly. Sometimes people plant this tree as an ornamental
--Thought this might help. Randy

We were posting at the same time. I'm wondering if there are different kinds of Juneberries because the ones we have growing taste great.

Heather

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by Up North

We were posting at the same time. I'm wondering if there are different kinds of Juneberries because the ones we have growing taste great.

Heather

I am not sure-------I have alot of juneberry tree's on my property--------They sure don't taste good!! I got the above info from a tree I D site. Randy

[Jennifer L.]

Thanks to both of you. I know they have cultivars so they must taste ok, but I wondered was there a lot of hype going on. If they make you late getting the cows in they must be pretty good, though!

I may order some this spring.

Jennifer

[Jeff54321]

The Juneberries that I have had have been wild and tasted a lot like wild Huckleberries. Very very good. I made jam with them that was as good as any wild Blueberry/Huckleberry jam.

[uncle Will in In.]

Jenifer and Jeff. Please discribe the plant the Juneberries you have grow on. I've heard of them but never seen any. I do love wild huckleberries, but they have disapeered now.

[Jeff54321]

Originally Posted by uncle Will in In.

Jenifer and Jeff. Please discribe the plant the Juneberries you have grow on. I've heard of them but never seen any. I do love wild huckleberries, but they have disapeered now.

The bush is about 9 feet tall with branches rising from the center at ground level and going out in all directions. The berries hang in clusters so that you can pick a small handful of berries with one grab. Not like picking huckleberries one at a time. Because of the height of the plant you can do all of the picking while standing up straight. The berries themselves are Blueberry/Huckleberry like in size and look very much like the wild Huckleberries, deep blackish bluish color with a shiny surface (not like domestic blueberries that are a much lighter blue with a slightly chalky appearance). The taste is almost as good as the Huckleberries, not very sweet but good intense flavor.

[Fire-Man]

Originally Posted by Jeff54321

The bush is about 9 feet tall with branches rising from the center at ground level and going out in all directions. The berries hang in clusters so that you can pick a small handful of berries with one grab. Not like picking huckleberries one at a time. Because of the height of the plant you can do all of the picking while standing up straight. The berries themselves are Blueberry/Huckleberry like in size and look very much like the wild Huckleberries, deep blackish bluish color with a shiny surface (not like domestic blueberries that are a much lighter blue with a slightly chalky appearance). The taste is almost as good as the Huckleberries, not very sweet but good intense flavor.

What you are describing sounds like what we call Wild Blueberries. I have alot of those too and they do taste good. The Juneberry tree's I have look just like a tree, some up to around 30ft tall. I sawed one on the sawmill that the trunk was 17" wide--Made some pretty boards, but I hadn't used them for anything yet. The berries on these "tree's" don't Taste good to me. I have a patio with table and chairs built under a deformed Juneberry tree(it grew in a log pile, when the dead tree's rotted the juneberry trunk had grew on a complete 90 degree angle)---gives Alot of shade. Randy

[Aohtee]

The Juneberry is at its tastiest when the color is dark blue-black. Don't eat it at the red stage. I find the taste to be a cross between a blueberry and mango.
I have never been able to get the berry back to the kitchen to make jam.

[stanb999]

I have the tree type here. The berries to me taste like blueberries crossed with wild grape. I like them but the wife says they are too seedy. I like to make a pancake syrup out of them.Oh, yeah... You have to wait until they are purple and juicy.


Here is a pic of the juneberry blossom.



When they are all in bloom it's stunning.