Smokey Saskatoon Serviceberry

‘Smokey’ is a fruiting selection of Saskatoon serviceberry, grown for a productive crop of sweet, dark berries as well as early-spring flowers and autumn color. It forms a large shrub or small multistem tree and can send up basal suckers. ## Landscape use and seasonal interest Use it as a large shrub or small multistem tree in an edible garden, informal hedge, or naturalistic planting where its suckering habit can be accommodated. White, fragrant flowers open early in spring; the berries ripen in summer and can be eaten fresh or cooked. The leaves turn orange to red in fall. Fruit production is generally better in full sun, while partial shade is tolerated. ## Siting and care Regional descriptions place mature plants around 10–14 feet tall and about 8 feet wide, though plant form and site can shift those dimensions. Give it room for basal shoots if a colony is acceptable, or remove unwanted suckers to keep a single planting footprint. Set it in reasonably fertile, well-drained soil and water during establishment and prolonged dry spells. The cultivar is reported as very cold hardy, but winter survival does not remove the need to match local growing conditions. ## Maintenance Harvest berries as they ripen, or leave some for wildlife. Prune selectively while dormant to remove damaged or crowded stems and maintain access for harvest; avoid routine shearing if fruit production is the goal. Remove suckers only where a narrower outline is needed. Sources: [Natural Resources Canada Saskatoon factsheet](https://tidcf.nrcan.gc.ca/en/trees/factsheet/385); [Municipal District of Greenview Saskatoon factsheet](https://mdgreenview.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-Shelterbelt-Facts-1.pdf); [University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program gene bank](https://research-groups.usask.ca/fruit/research/gene-bank.php).