Plant Details

Amelanchier laevis

Allegheny serviceberry,

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Common names

20 names · 14 languages
EnglishYour language
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • smooth shadbush[2]
Other languages (13)
Dutch
  • Drents krentenboompje
French
  • amélanchier glabre[2]
  • Amélanchier lisse
  • petites poires[2]
Cherokee
  • ᎤᏙᎳᏂ[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 平滑唐棣[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 平滑唐棣[2]
Czech
  • muchovník hladký[2]
Danish
  • alleghenybærmispel[2]
Finnish
  • sirotuomipihlaja[2]
German
  • Kahle Felsenbirne[2]
Polish
  • Świdośliwa gładka[2]
Russian
  • Ирга гладкая[2]
Slovak
  • muchovník hladký[2]
Swedish
  • kal häggmispel[2]
  • kopparhäggmispel[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Amelanchier laevis Wiegand ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Allegheny serviceberry — VernacularName.tsv, line 171747; taxon CQNY.
[2] Amelanchier laevis — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • smooth shadbush — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • sirotuomipihlaja — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • sarvis — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • sarvisberry — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • Allegheny serviceberry — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • muchovník hladký — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • 平滑唐棣 — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • 平滑唐棣 — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • kopparhäggmispel — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • Ирга гладкая — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • amélanchier glabre — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • petites poires — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • alleghenybærmispel — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • Świdośliwa gładka — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • ᎤᏙᎳᏂ — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • kal häggmispel — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • muchovník hladký — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.
  • Kahle Felsenbirne — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 54814; Amelanchier laevis.

General information

Scientific name: Amelanchier laevis
Accepted name (Kew): Amelanchier laevis Wiegand View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Rosaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Amelanchier (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Allegheny serviceberry,
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Fruit tree, Shrub
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 4.57–7.62 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 4.57–6.1 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Moderate
Sources [3]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Dense, Irregular, Multi-stemmed, Multi-trunked, Vase

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Perennial
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Moist, Occasionally Dry

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Dappled Sunlight, Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit
Edibility rating:
(5)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Wood

Description

Edible fruit - both delicious raw and cooked. It is juicy and sweet, and is considered one of the tastiest fruits of its kind. It can be consumed in large quantities and can also be dried for use in the winter. The diameter of the fruit can reach up to 18 mm. Moreover, the flesh is rich in iron and copper.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/06
Harvest ends: 15/08

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1432821; name ID 2941205; Amelanchier Medik.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 836565; name ID 2940246; Amelanchier laevis Wiegand.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Amelanchier laevis

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 4702669, ID CQNY: Amelanchier laevis Wiegand (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Amelanchier laevis — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .