Prairie Elements
Growing The Saskatoon - A Prairie Heritage
Article by Richard G. St-Pierre, Ph.D.
(This article is a revised version of the article that was originally published in 2001 in The Cider Press 14(2): pp 19-24.)
Part 1: Introduction
"On the great Plains there is a shrub bearing a very sweet berry of a dark blue color, much sought after, great quantities are dried by the Natives; in this state, these berries are as sweet as the best currants, and as much as possible mixed to make Pemmecan; the wood of this shrub, or willow, is hard, weighty and flexible, but not elastic, and wherever it can be procured always forms the Arrow of the Indian ... I have dwelt on the above, as it [is] the staple food of all persons, and affords the most nourishment in the least space and weight ..." From: David Thompson's Narrative 1784-1812 - entry from June 22, 1810.
The saskatoon has long been a treasured wild fruit and a prairie tradition, being an abundant staple for prairie peoples for centuries. The saskatoon is closely related to the apple, mountain ash and hawthorn. The fruit is not actually a berry but in essence, a tiny apple. The edible, sweet fruit have a distinctive flavour with subtle almond overtones.
The latin name of the saskatoon is Amelanchier alnifolia. The genus Amelanchier belongs to the Rose family (Rosaceae - apple subfamily Pomoideae), and is comprised of about two dozen species of shrubs and small trees distributed in North America and Eurasia. The species of Amelanchier are closely related and often difficult to distinguish. The origin of the generic name Amelanchier is derived from the French Provençal name, 'amelanche', for the European species, A. ovalis; amelanche is a derivation of the Gauloise word for small apple.The North American species of Amelanchier are variously called by a number of common names, especially serviceberry, saskatoon, Juneberry, shadbush, and poirier or petites poires. The French Canadians referred to Amelanchier fruit as 'poires' because of the pear-shaped berries of some species. The common name 'serviceberry' derives from the similarity of the fruit to the service or sarvis, a forgotten English fruit (possibly Sorbus torminalis), whereas shadbush is associated with eastern species that bloom when the shad (a fish) begin to return to their spring spawning grounds. The saskatoon was first described botanically by Thomas Nuttall in 1818 as Aronia alnifolia, and subsequently re-described as Amelanchier alnifolia in 1834. The specific name alnifolia means 'with leaves like the alder'. The word saskatoon apparently was an anglicized version of the Cree name for the fruit which was Mis-sask-qua-too-mina or Mis-sask-a-too-mina (plural Sask-a-too-mina). However, it's also possible that the name was derived from the Cree name for the place where stems of saskatoon bushes were collected for arrow shafts; this name was Mane-me-sas-kwa-tan (note that the latter half of this word is ‘saskwatan’).
The saskatoon is a western North American species, ranging from the Yukon and Northwest Territories (close to the Arctic Circle), south to California, Arizona, and New Mexico, and east to Manitoba, the Dakotas and Nebraska. In the east it merges with A. canadensis near the western border of Ontario, and in the west and southwest, it merges with A. florida and A. cusickii (both of which are considered as subspecies of A. alnifolia by some botanists). The saskatoon is commonly found in open woods, coulees and bluffs, on hillsides, and along gulleys and stream banks, from near sea level to subalpine altitudes. The saskatoon is a hardy and tolerant fruit species. In habit, it may range from a low and spreading to erect and slender shrub or small tree. The saskatoon is capable of tolerating wide ranges of soil pH and texture. The flower buds have been found to have the potential for extreme resistance to low temperature injury (-50 to -60oC) at maximum hardiness. However, flowering saskatoons are susceptible to damage from late-spring frosts. In the wild, the saskatoon is considered a species adapted to areas that, in the past, were often exposed to fire. On patches of prairie that have been burned, the saskatoon vigorously produces new shoots. The saskatoon is generally grazed by deer, elk and moose. Its fruit are consumed by many birds and mammals including robins, magpies, grosbeaks, waxwings, coyotes and bears.
The horticultural potential of the saskatoon has long been recognized. In his various references to the saskatoon, the explorer David Thompson suggested that this fruit ought to be cultivated in Canada and England. The saskatoon was first cultivated in the Peace River area of northern Alberta by W. D. Albright in 1918. The first professor of horticulture at the University of Saskatchewan, C.F. Patterson, wrote about cultivating the saskatoon in 1936. In addition to its value as a fruit, the saskatoon also has value as an ornamental. Masses of showy flowers appear in the spring. Some cultivars (Altaglow and Success in particular) produce brilliant fall foliage. Other uses include range restoration, plantings for birds and other wildlife, windbreaks, and low maintenance, or native plant landscaping. The saskatoon has not been domesticated, that is, has not undergone breeding and selection for cultivated environments. However, a number of selections having superior characteristics have been chosen from the wild, and it is this material which is being propagated and cultivated. This native fruit species is gaining importance as a commercial fruit crop on the prairies. Relatively small orchards can produce high yields and profits. Interest in cultivating the saskatoon has grown, in part, because of inconsistent wild crops and the loss of many wild plants. As well, the short, dry growing season and harsh winters typical of the prairie climate are not conducive to the commercial production of typical domesticated fruit crops such as the apple, or peach.
More information on saskatoon production may be found in: Growing Saskatoons - A Manual For Orchardists.