No. 35
Plant of the month: May
Serviceberry
Amelanchier spp. (A. arborea, A. canadensis, A. laevis, A. x grandiflora)
Juneberry, shadbush
Fruit ripe fruit
Drawing: Britton & Brown, Illustrated Flora (1913)
- Find
- Common in the right habitat
- Effort
- Grab & eat
- ID risk
- Beginner
- Origin
- native
- Uses
- Eat raw / salad
- Baking & desserts
- Jam & jelly
- Syrup & cordial
- Juice & drinks
- Dried fruit & leather
Season
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
in season peak
What these mean
Find
1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.
Effort
1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.
ID risk
How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.
Native or not, and the invader stars
Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.
Seasons
Start, peak and end are given in thirds of a month: early, mid or late. A plant counts as in season for a month if it is in season at any point in that month. Some greens and roots have a second window, in spring or fall; their page shows each window. A season that runs across New Year is shown as one window.
What it looks like
A small native tree that is one of the first to bloom in spring, with clouds of white flowers. The fruits are small, blueberry-like pomes that turn from green to red and then to deep purple or nearly black. Ripe fruit is sweet and juicy, like a cross between blueberries and cherries, and slightly nutty; some describe hints of peach or almond.
Safety
None notable in the sources checked. Skip fruit deformed by cedar-quince rust: UMD Extension says this fungus can make the fruit inedible for people. As with any street tree, wash the fruit and avoid trees beside heavy traffic or recently sprayed landscapes.
- ID risk
- Beginner
- Why
- No toxic lookalike is named. Skip fruit deformed by cedar-quince rust (UMD).
- Soil risk
- low
ID risk: what this means
How hard it is to harvest safely. Beginner: no dangerous lookalike, and the edible part is not easily confused with a toxic part. Careful: a toxic lookalike, or toxic parts that end up in the harvest unless removed (for example elderberry stems, unripe ground cherries), or other parts of the plant rated medium-or-higher toxicity, with reliable features to separate them. Expert only: a potentially deadly lookalike that is hard to separate, or (for not-recommended harvests like pokeweed) a plant whose safe preparation can’t be guaranteed. Toxic parts that are obviously separate and thrown away anyway (pits, seeds, skins) don’t raise it; the Toxic parts mark carries that warning.
Soil risk: what this means
Based on the part you eat, following the urban-soil lead guidance on the Field safety page: higher for greens, shoots and roots; moderate for flowers; low for fruit, nuts and sap.
Field safety for every outing (poison ivy, ticks, soil, and more)
When to pick
- Starts
- late May
- Peak
- late May–early Jun
- Ends
- late Jun
Casey Trees says serviceberries in DC and the mid-Atlantic can have ripe fruit from May through June, often earlier than the 'Juneberry' name suggests. Around DC, iNaturalist photos show the first dark fruit in the last third of May and most ripe fruit from late May to early June. Berries do not all ripen at once, so return every few days (Casey Trees); birds take the sweetest berries quickly (Iowa State). Pick plump, dark purple fruit that comes off with a gentle tug. Red berries are edible but less sweet (Casey Trees). Skip fruit with orange, dusty cedar-apple rust (Casey Trees; UMD Extension).
How the dates were worked out
Every start, peak and end was re-checked in October 2026. “Sourced” means a source opened during the check states that timing for the DC or Mid-Atlantic area. “Estimated” means no source states it exactly; the reason, the evidence and the source links are under “How the dates were worked out” on each plant’s page. Peaks are often estimated, because few sources name a peak. iNaturalist evidence means research-grade sightings near DC, by month, of the plant at that stage (for example, in fruit). iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.
Season basis: estimated: start, peak
Start
estimated: Casey Trees gives May without a week. Local photos put the first dark, fully ripe fruit in the last third of May; red berries before then are edible but less sweet (Casey Trees).
Peak
estimated: No source names a peak; the range follows the regional records.
End
sourced
Evidence
start: Casey Trees: 'In DC and the mid-Atlantic, serviceberries can produce ripe fruit from May through June', and they 'often ripen earlier in the mid-Atlantic' than June. iNaturalist photos within 60 km of DC (45 research-grade fruiting records, May-July, all viewed) show only green and red fruit from May 4 to May 22; the first purple to near-black fruit is on May 24 (2021), then May 26 (2024) and May 28 (2023). | peak: iNaturalist MD/VA/DC fruiting records peak in weeks 21-23 (May 21-Jun 10: 16, 15, 14); photos near DC show most dark fruit from late May to mid June. | end: Casey Trees: ripe fruit 'from May through June' in DC and the mid-Atlantic. iNaturalist MD/VA/DC fruiting records continue to weeks 25-26 (Jun 18-Jul 1: 3, 3).
- The Serviceberry: A guide to appreciating this small but mighty tree Casey Trees
- Serviceberry / Juneberry / Shadbush research-grade observations within 25 km of DC, with photos (fruiting annotation) iNaturalist
- api.inaturalist.org/v1/observations/histogram
- Serviceberry / Juneberry / Shadbush research-grade observations Maryland, Virginia and DC, by week (fruiting annotation) iNaturalist
Where to look
Mostly planted street trees and trees in public parks (Casey Trees' map helps); wild ones grow on wooded slopes along the C&O Canal and in Glencarlyn Park, but serviceberry is ambiguous on the C&O Canal (not on its limits list; ask the park) and Arlington parks ban picking.
- Habitats
- street & yard trees (planted), upland oak-hickory woods
Habitats: what this means
Listed where the plant’s own sources place it in that habitat. “Disturbed ground & waste places” means a cited source places it on disturbed areas, sites, soil or ground, on waste places or waste ground, on construction or abandoned building sites (old home sites count), on rubble or in strip mines. When the source gives examples of the disturbed places, at least one example must be of that kind. Examples that do not count: natural or forestry disturbance (treefall gaps, fire, windthrow, flood scour, old riverbanks and creeks, clear-cuts); roadsides, railroads and rights-of-way; and abandoned fields, pastures and farmland, which are “Old fields & meadows”. “Vacant lots” only where a source says vacant or empty lots.
Most-logged places
None of the most-logged places allows picking.
Ask first: rules unclear or not checked
- C&O Canal NHP (towpath, Georgetown to Great Falls MD and beyond)
Ambiguous: the C&O compendium allows edible fruits, nuts and berries generally but sets no limit for this one; ask the park first.
No picking here (4 places)
- Glencarlyn Park
Look but don’t pick: Arlington County park rules say flora shall not be removed or disturbed.
- Great Falls Park (VA)
Look but don’t pick: GW Memorial Parkway sites (incl. Great Falls VA, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Dyke Marsh) designate nothing for gathering.
- Rock Creek Park
Look but don’t pick: Rock Creek Park’s compendium bans gathering any fruit, nut, berry, seed or greenery.
- Huntley Meadows Park
Look but don’t pick: Fairfax County parks ban removing any plant part without written permission.
Most-logged places: what this means
The places with the most research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km of downtown DC (re-counted in October 2026 over every named place, campuses, condominiums and private grounds included), each marked legal to pick or not. A sighting inside several named places counts once, for the smallest of them, but a sighting inside a National Park Service park never counts for a private, campus or unchecked place. iNaturalist shows where people walk and log plants, not true abundance. Private campuses, condominiums, museums, estates and utility land (Pepco’s power-line land near Sligo Creek) are marked “no” (pick only with the owner’s permission); public university campuses, city parks and other places whose picking rules were not checked (county stormwater land, the U.S. Capitol Grounds, Greenbelt’s North Woods, federal facilities such as the National Zoo) are “unknown”. A place needs at least 2 sightings, so plants with very few sightings (rugosa rose) have no places. No most-logged places are named for at-risk plants (ramps, chinquapin, American chestnut); chinquapin’s page names Mason Neck State Park, where picking is legal, and asks you to leave most nuts. For some places, mostly Rock Creek Park, the iNaturalist map shows more sightings than the count here, because a map link cannot leave out exactly the sightings credited to another place. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.
Where you may pick
C&O Canal NHP’s compendium says edible fruits, nuts and berries may be gathered by hand for personal use but sets limits only for listed species; this one is not listed, so its status there is ambiguous: confirm with the park. Rock Creek Park (which also runs Glover-Archbold, Battery Kemble, the western and northern Civil War Defenses forts and many small DC reservations) bans gathering any fruit, nut, berry or seed. Pick on private land only with the owner’s permission. On street trees, respect local rules and neighbors and don’t damage the tree (Casey Trees). Prince William Forest Park lists Allegheny serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) only, 1 pint per person per day; whether other serviceberries are covered is ambiguous.
- Best legal spot
- Mason Neck State Park (2 obs)
- C&O Canal NHP (incl. Great Falls MD, trail-side only)
C&O 2026 compendium 2.1(c)(1): 'Edible fruits, nuts, berries, and mushrooms may be gathered by hand for personal use or consumption.' The limits table that follows does not list this species. 36 CFR 2.1(c)(1) requires designating 'certain' fruits, so the narrower reading (listed species only) is also possible. Confirm with the park.
- Prince William Forest Park
PRWI compendium (May 29, 2026) 36 CFR 2.1 'Plant Collection': 'serviceberries (Amelanchier Laevis)'. Only A. laevis is named; other serviceberries (A. arborea, A. canadensis) are not, and the species are hard to tell apart
- Virginia State Parks
4VAC5-30-50 bars gathering any plant without a permit, except that edible fruits, berries, fungi or nuts may be collected for personal or individual use; serviceberry is an edible fruit
Where you may pick: what this means
For each park system: “yes” where its current rules (the park’s compendium or regulation) allow this plant or part, with the limit; “ambiguous” where the wording may or may not cover it, so ask the park; “no” where it is not allowed. Rock Creek Park, the GW Parkway sites (including Great Falls VA and Theodore Roosevelt Island), the National Mall, Montgomery and Prince George’s parks, Maryland state parks, and Fairfax and Arlington parks prohibit picking. Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts allows blackberries and raspberries (one gallon per person per day) and chestnuts (one gallon per person per day). National Park Service rules are reissued every year; other parks change theirs from time to time, so check the park’s current rules. The Where you may pick page has every park’s rules.
Ways to use it
- eat fresh off the tree
- pies, muffins, cobblers, smoothies (use in place of blueberries)
- jam, jelly, syrup
- freeze for later
- dried, used like raisins (UAF)
Keeping
Refrigerate up to a week, or tray-freeze within a few days of picking for up to 2 years.
- Use within
- within a few days
- Keeps fresh
- Up to 1 week in the refrigerator, covered (UAF).
- Canning
- no tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can (UAF’s times are for the Alaska species with no acid added; not tested for DC-area serviceberries)
- Keeping basis
- specific to this plant
Ways to keep it
Dry as researched: dry/dehydrate; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)
Dip a few seconds in boiling water to crack the skins, then dry until leathery; store cool and dry and use like raisins (UAF).
Freeze as researched: freeze; canning: n/a (not shelf-canned)
Spread dry berries in one layer on a cookie sheet, freeze, then bag. Keeps good quality up to 2 years in airtight containers below 0°F (UAF). No tested canning procedure covers eastern serviceberries: they are not on NCHFP’s tested berry lists. UAF publishes water-bath times for Alaska’s serviceberry (juice 5 minutes, purée 15 minutes, with no acid added), but not for DC-area species. Freeze instead.
Jam/jelly as researched: jam/jelly; canning: no tested recipe — refrigerate or freeze
UAF has a serviceberry jam (15-minute water bath) for the Alaska species; no tested recipe covers DC-area serviceberries, so refrigerate or freeze the jam.
Syrup as researched: syrup/cordial; canning: no tested recipe — refrigerate or freeze
UAF serviceberry syrup keeps up to 6 months refrigerated. UAF’s 5-minute canning time is for the Alaska species, so refrigerate or freeze it.
Canning: what this means
Shelf-stable canning, three levels. Lab-tested: a lab-tested recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) or Oregon State covers this fruit and product, or a generic recipe for its kind (the line says so, for example chokeberry). Extension recipe: a published Extension recipe (University of Alaska Fairbanks, written for Alaska species; University of Maine’s dandelion jelly), or a process that is safe only with a pH meter; follow it exactly, never improvise. No tested recipe: refrigerate or freeze, don’t can. “Hot-bottled syrup” = maple and walnut syrup, which keep when bottled hot at full syrup density. The Canning line names the exact product each source covers, for example “whole berries” or “juice”; a product not named there (such as juice from a berry with only a whole-berry recipe) has no tested recipe.
Keeping basis: what this means
“Specific to this plant” or “general guidance for its type” (for example NCHFP guidance for leafy greens applied to a wild green).
Nutrition
How much of a day’s needs one standard serving (140 g) provides, using the FDA’s daily values and serving sizes. The FDA calls 20% or more “high” and 10–19% a “good source”. Every figure below is listed with its source; where the sources disagree, all of them are shown and no conclusion is drawn.
Vitamin C: the analyses differ
Donno et al. 2016 report ascorbic acid and, separately, 110.39 mg per 100 g of dehydroascorbic acid, the other form of vitamin C; the two added together are 113.39 mg (176% of daily value). Both figures are shown.
Kuklina et al. 2017: the paper labels its figure ascorbic acid.
Kuklina et al. 2017: the paper’s summary gives ascorbic acid “up to 30.3 mg%”, lower than its Table 1, used here.
Kuklina et al. 2017: 67% and 64% of daily value (2 figures in this study)
Recorded: 42.8 mg per 100 g ('mg%') (per 100 g fresh fruit (the Methods say analysis was on fresh fruits; 'mg%' as printed)). Sample: Amelanchier canadensis, cultivated in the Botanical Garden of Belgorod National Research University (and the Main Botanical Garden, Moscow), Russia; fresh fruits at full ripeness; analyzed yearly (Table 1: 2010-2015; Table 2: 2010-2013), samples from 10 shrubs belonging to 5 species each year (number per species not stated); cultivar not named Working: 42.8 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 59.92 mg; daily value 90 mg; 67%.
Recorded: 41.2 mg per 100 g ('mg%') (per 100 g fresh fruit (as above)). Sample: Amelanchier laevis, cultivated in the Botanical Garden of Belgorod National Research University (and the Main Botanical Garden, Moscow), Russia; fresh fruits at full ripeness; analyzed yearly (Table 1: 2010-2015; Table 2: 2010-2013), samples from 10 shrubs belonging to 5 species each year (number per species not stated); cultivar not named Working: 41.2 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 57.68 mg; daily value 90 mg; 64%.
Donno et al. 2016: 5% of daily value
Sample: Amelanchier canadensis, a cultivated genotype in the fruit germplasm collection of the University of Turin, Chieri (Piedmont, NW Italy), fully ripe fruit collected mid-June 2015, 0.5 kg per replication, 3 biological samples (A1-A3) analyzed in triplicate; stored at 4 °C before extraction (time not stated); cultivar not named
Recorded: 3.0 mg (per 100 g fresh weight). Working: 3 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 4.2 mg; daily value 90 mg; 5%.
Magnesium: good source
Unconfirmed: only one analysis, and it would rank 5 of 103 raw fruits in USDA SR Legacy.
Wainio & Forbes 1941: 13% of daily value
Sample: Amelanchier canadensis (name as printed, authority Britton & Brown 1936; the 1930s name may have covered trees now split as A. arborea/A. laevis), field-collected in a forest wildlife-food survey (the paper does not say wild or planted; only three nut samples were bought at market), Centre County, Pennsylvania, collected July 7, 1939; portion analyzed 'Whole berries' (seeds ground in); single sample; ripeness not stated
Recorded: 0.04 percent (g per 100 g) (fresh basis, whole fruit as collected (seeds ground in with the flesh), as printed). Working: 40 mg per 100 g × 140 g ÷ 100 = 56 mg; daily value 420 mg; 13%.
The chemical composition of forest fruits and nuts from Pennsylvania
Other figures, each under 10% of daily value (2)
- Wainio & Forbes 1941: Calcium 8%; Phosphorus 4%
Figures left out, and why (2 studies; 0 with no figure used)
The calendar counts a study with no figure used here when one of its vitamin, mineral or dietary fiber figures was left out as a dried sample, another part, or for an unclear species, part or basis; figures given per amount of juice are not counted.
- Wainio & Forbes 1941 (other figures from this study are used above): ash has no FDA daily value; crude fiber is a different measure from dietary fiber, the FDA daily value is for dietary fiber; no FDA daily value; protein: the FDA percent daily value for protein must be corrected for protein quality (PDCAAS, 21 CFR 101.9(c)(7)(ii)), which this analysis does not report; total fat has an FDA daily value, but the panels show only vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber
- Kuklina et al. 2017 (other figures from this study are used above): no FDA daily value
What was searched
- Europe PMC: searched 2026-10-09, 15 records; 15 after removing duplicates across databases; 1 candidates by title and abstract; 1 read in full; 1 with figures used
- PubMed: searched 2026-10-09, 8 records; 8 after removing duplicates across databases; 1 candidates by title and abstract; 1 read in full; 1 with figures used
- OpenAlex: searched 2026-10-09, 385 records; 382 after removing duplicates across databases; 7 candidates by title and abstract; 4 read in full; 2 with figures used
- Crossref: searched 2026-10-09, 56 records; 52 after removing duplicates across databases; 2 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
- J-STAGE (Japan): searched 2026-10-09, 12 records; 12 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
- USDA FoodData Central (online search): searched 2026-10-09, 0 records; 0 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
- USDA FoodData Central (downloaded SR Legacy 2018 and Foundation 2026 tables): searched 2026-10-09, 0 records; 0 after removing duplicates across databases; 0 candidates by title and abstract; 0 read in full; 0 with figures used
- All databases together: 476 records from all databases, 443 unique, 8 candidates, 4 read, 2 used; 4 not read (paywalled 1, blocked automated access 3, not online 0)
- KCI (Korea), CNKI (China), SciELO (Latin America), CORE, USDA’s AGRICOLA and PubAg, Google Scholar, and national food composition tables other than USDA’s: not searched (October 2026).
The counts are of papers new in this search. Sources found before this search (such as USDA’s entries) were not counted again.
Each database was searched for the plant’s scientific and common names together with nutrient words (composition, nutrient, vitamin, mineral, fiber, protein and others), in titles and abstracts only. Papers that don’t name the plant there, and words not on the list (such as fat, energy and moisture), were missed unless another paper led to them; the AI researchers found some that way.
Found but not read (4)
- Amelanchier canadensis L. Shakhnoza S. Azimova; Anna I. Glushenkova 2012; not read: paywalled
- Composition and energy values of wild fruits from the boreal forest of northern Ontario Masayuki Usui; Peter G. Kevan; Yukio Kakuda 1994; not read: the site blocked automated access
- Nutrient Utilization of Winter Retained and Spring Ripened Fruit by Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) Cheryl L. Purdue 2005; not read: the site blocked automated access
- The Effectiveness of Vacuum-microwave Drying Methods in the Preservation of Amelanchier Berries (Amelanchier canadensis L. Medik.) Jan Piecko; Dorota Konopacka; Monika Mieszczakowska‐Frąc; Dorota E. Kruczyńska 2017; not read: the site blocked automated access
Collected in October 2026 by AI research agents, following written rules; the calendar’s figures were then checked independently.
Native or not
All listed species native; A. x grandiflora is a hybrid of two native species (A. arborea x A. laevis), widely planted. (USDA PLANTS did not resolve A. x grandiflora to a separate accepted record.)
- Origin
- native
- Native range
- eastern North America
- Virginia invasive rank
- not listed
- Maryland invasive status
- not listed
Native or not, and the invader stars: what this means
Origin is where the plant comes from: native, non-native, or mixed (the harvest covers both). The stars rate plants on invasive plant lists: ★★★ Virginia DCR “High” or Maryland prohibited invasive · ★★ Virginia “Medium” · ★ Virginia “Low” · ☆ listed only by the Maryland Invasive Species Council or the Mid-Atlantic Plant Invaders guide (advisory) · no stars: native or not listed.
Virginia DCR, Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective September 2024), verbatim: "Under the DCR Invasive Species Assessment Protocol, approved by the Virginia Invasive Species Working Group, January 2024, species were ranked as exhibiting high, medium or low levels of invasiveness based on their threat to natural communities and native species. Invasiveness rank is higher for species that: • Alter ecosystem processes, such as succession, hydrology or fire regime. • Are capable of invading undisturbed natural communities. • Cause substantial impacts on rare or vulnerable species or natural communities or high-quality examples of more common communities. • Are found widely distributed and generally abundant where present. • Disperse readily to new areas. • Are difficult to control." The list also states: "The list is for educational purposes only and has no regulatory authority."
Maryland Department of Agriculture, Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations page, verbatim: "Plants on the Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List may not be added to stock after the effective date and should not be sold after their phase-out period ends."
No official DC invasive plant list was found.
How the ratings were set
- Find
- Common in the right habitat Estimate 1,677 = 137 research-grade iNaturalist sightings within 25 km + 1,111 needs-ID sightings counted in full (the harvest is the whole genus) + 429 'cultivated' (planted) sightings (rule A); that is tier 1 by count (rule B). Rule C: none of its sources says it is common in, or a weed of, an everyday place (lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots, towns); Casey Trees says "All over DC! Serviceberry trees are often planted as street trees", but street planting is judged only by DC’s street-tree inventory, which lists 2,072 living serviceberries, under the line of one per km of DC sidewalk (2,406), so it cannot be tier 1 (Everywhere). Final tier 2.
- Effort
- Grab & eat Pick ripe berries from the tree, rinse and eat; pies, jam and freezing are extra.
Find: what this means
1 Everywhere · 2 Common in the right habitat · 3 Patchy · 4 Elusive. This is about how much there is, not whether you may pick it. It is based on iNaturalist sightings within 25 km (about 15 miles) of downtown DC, counted on October 3, 2026. The four rules that each plant’s “Find” reason refers to: (A) the estimate is the confirmed sightings, plus the unconfirmed ones (scaled down where the plant has lookalikes in its genus), plus the sightings marked as planted; (B) the tier by estimate: 1,500 or more is tier 1, 250–1,499 tier 2, 50–249 tier 3, under 50 tier 4; (C) tier 1, Everywhere, also needs a source saying the plant is common in lawns, sidewalks, yards or gardens, vacant lots or towns, or at least one DC street tree of it per km of sidewalk, otherwise it is tier 2; (D) if a reliable source says the plant is rare in this region, or that wild plants rarely bear the harvest, only planted sightings count. iNaturalist is a website and phone app where people post photos of the plants and animals they see. A sighting is “research grade” when other users have confirmed what it is; “needs ID” sightings are not confirmed yet, and “cultivated” ones are marked as planted.
Effort: what this means
1 Grab & eat · 2 Quick kitchen prep (under about 30 minutes) · 3 Real work (hours, or cooking needed for safety) · 4 Project (days or equipment). Scored on the simplest worthwhile use; each plant’s page says why.
Sources
21 sources, each linked to the original.
- Prince William Forest Park Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
- C&O Canal NHP Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
- Rock Creek Park Superintendent’s Compendium National Park ServiceBacks up: picking rules
- Serviceberries Iowa State University Extension (Yard and Garden)Backs up: description
- Serviceberry: An Early-Flowering Maryland Native Tree University of Maryland ExtensionBacks up: description, safety, habitat
- Amelanchier arborea NC State Extension Plant ToolboxBacks up: description, uses, habitat
- DC street-tree inventory (DDOT Urban Forestry, UFA Street Trees layer): living trees by species, queried 2026-10-05 (2,072 living serviceberries) District of Columbia (DDOT Urban Forestry Division, via DC GIS)Backs up: findability
- iNaturalist research-grade observations of Amelanchier (genus) within 25 km of downtown DC iNaturalistBacks up: findability
- USDA PLANTS Database: Amelanchier arborea (AMAR3), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
- USDA PLANTS Database: Amelanchier canadensis (AMCA4), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
- USDA PLANTS Database: Amelanchier laevis (AMLA), native status USDA NRCSBacks up: native or invasive status
- Virginia Invasive Plant Species List (effective date: September 2024) Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural HeritageBacks up: native or invasive status
- Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant Law and Regulations (Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List, updated January 2026; additions effective July 15, 2026; 'Next Plants To Be Assessed' 2026-2027) Maryland Department of Agriculture, Plant Protection & Weed ManagementBacks up: native or invasive status
- Non-Native Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in the State of Maryland (updates approved through the April 18, 2024 MISC meeting) Maryland Invasive Species CouncilBacks up: native or invasive status
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, Field Guide (Swearingen & Fulton, 2022; successor to the NPS/USFWS 5th ed., 2017) Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council / Passiflora Press (hosted by Bugwood/Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool)Backs up: native or invasive status
- Invasive Plants in the District DC Department of Energy & EnvironmentBacks up: native or invasive status
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier) research-grade observations within 25 km of DC, by month (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
- Serviceberry / Juneberry / Shadbush research-grade observations within 25 km of DC, with photos (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
- Serviceberry / Juneberry / Shadbush research-grade observations Maryland, Virginia and DC, by week (fruiting annotation) iNaturalistBacks up: season
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- Serviceberries University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension ServiceBacks up: uses, storage, keeping