Chapters 4.49

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Amelanchier grandiflora2.jpg

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Rogers,M. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Introduction

Serviceberry, scientifically known as Amelanchier canadensis, is a shrub or small tree, harbouring maroon or purple, spherical fruits with a sweet and apple-like taste. The popularity of serviceberry hit a plateau, but the last two decades have seen an increase in cultivating this plant industrially in the USA and Canada (Donno et al, 2016). Serviceberry is native to the eastern regions of North America; however, it grows across western North America, north-central USA, as well as in Alaska (Donno et al, 2016). Serviceberry is multi-functional in use, as it can be used for ornamentals, consumption, medicine, and in landscaping (Sheahan, 2015).

About the Serviceberry

The Amelanchier canadensis variety of serviceberry is commonly referred to as shadblow (Donno et al, 2016). Old legends suggest that the name serviceberry comes from the plant blooming in early spring, when the first funeral service can be held after the frozen ground has thawed (Frohn, 2018). It produces clusters of white flowers, as seen in Figure 2, and reaches peak ripeness in early June. The tree is deciduous, reaches eight metres in height, has a smooth ash-grey bark, and thin red-brown twigs (Donno et al, 2016). The twigs are hairy when young, but become glabrous with age (Sheahan, 2015). The leaves are alternately arranged with an egg to completely round shape (Donno et al, 2016). The fruits, as seen in Figure 1, are maroon-purple in colour, smooth, wax-coated, and seven to fifteen millimetres in diameter (Donno et al, 2016). The fruits are pomes, which is similar to apples and pears (Sheahan, 2015).

Figure 1: Serviceberry fruit(Kausen, 2022)Figure 2: Serviceberry flowers (Lovit, 2022)

Indigenous Association

Serviceberry has many medicinal values among the Indigenous communities. In Canada, the serviceberry juice is used as a laxative and in treating stomach illnesses (Donno et al, 2016). Ripe serviceberries can be made into ear- and eye-drops. When boiled, the bark can be used as a disinfectant and the steeping of roots in water can prevent miscarriage (Donno et al, 2016). In addition to this, the twigs and stems can be made into teas given to women after birthing a child. Women are also given a tonic of the bark to hurry the delivery of the placenta (Donno et al, 2016). The fruits provide a natural purple dye (Donno et al, 2016).

Indigenous peoples have used the wood to make canoes, canes, and tool handles due to the wood’s strength and hardness (Donno et al, 2016). The younger stems of the plant provide arrows, combs, salmon spreaders, basket rims, and pipes (Donno et al, 2016). The Cree tribes, in particular, used the saplings in arrow making (Frohn, 2018).

Figure 3: Map of Cree Nations: the Plains Cree can be highlighted by the army green area. (Brock University Map Library, 2004)

In the North American prairies, Indigenous peoples and early settlers used serviceberry as a primary source of food (Donno et al, 2016). Pemmican is an Indigenous food made from powdered dried meat (usually buffalo) and equal amounts melted fat. Now and again, berries were added. From Figure 3, the Prairie Cree tribes inhabited Saskatchewan, Alberta, and small areas of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Montana. The prairie Cree indigenous peoples enhanced their pemmican through the addition of dried serviceberry to the meat (Ontario, 2014). Colonists and Indigenous peoples used the serviceberry fruit in juneberry pies (Sheahan, 2015). The Cherokee tribes resided in areas of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee, as shown by Figure 4. The Chippewa, or Ojibwe tribes, were predominantly found in the southern half of Ontario and Manitoba, but they also inhabited parts of Saskatchewan, Quebec, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. See Figure 5 for a visual representation of Chippewa lands and migration routes. The root bark was used by the Cherokee and Chippewa tribes in curing diarrhea, excessive menstruation, indigestion, and as a dewormer (Sheahan, 2015).

Figure 4: Map of the Cherokee territory in 1831(Jackson, n.d.)

Figure 5: Map of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) territory (Atlas of Wisconsin, n.d.)

Another tribe, the Potawatomi, indulge in serviceberries. The Potawatomi word for serviceberry is Bozakmin, where “min” is the root for “berry” and for “gift” (Kimmerer, 2022). Instead of viewing the serviceberries as commodities, the Potawatomi view serviceberries as gifts (Kimmerer, 2022). For the Potawatomi, the serviceberry induces gratitude, thankful for the plant and the energy it gives. The gift relationship then extends to the wildlife, as the trees offer their berries to the birds come June (Kimmerer, 2022). In Potawatomi culture, there is no tolerance for scarcity through hoarding. This can be demonstrated by the Windigo, a monstrous creature who does not share enough and takes more than necessary (Kimmerer, 2022).

Benefits

Serviceberry has a high frost resistance, as well as drought and salt tolerance (Donno et al, 2016). If the soil is not excessively dry or waterlogged, serviceberry can grow in both very sandy and high clay soils (Donno et al, 2016). Serviceberry establishes itself quite quickly after being disturbed (early successional); because of this, it will populate areas that have been affected by fires, storms, or mechanical disturbances (Sheahan, 2015).

Serviceberry blooms early, which plays an important role in providing food for pollinators, such as butterflies and bees (Sheahan, 2015). The fruit is very attractive to birds and wildlife alike. Orioles, cardinals, thrushes, woodpeckers, catbirds, robins, waxwings, chipmunks, and squirrels may indulge in the serviceberry fruit (Sheahan, 2015). The leaves may be fed upon by butterfly larvae, including tiger swallowtail, viceroy, admirals, and striped hairstreak (Sheahan, 2015). Serviceberry is deer-resistant, as deer rarely damage the plant, despite its white flowers and edible berries (Sheahan, 2015).

In terms of nutritional benefits, serviceberry is rich in medicinal and healthful components; some of which include catechins, anthocyanins, chlorogenic acid, and rutin (Donno et al, 2016). Serviceberry is an excellent source of magnesium, manganese, and iron; it is also a good source of calcium, copper, potassium, and carotenoids (Donno et al, 2016). Due to its high anthocyanin content, serviceberry has high free radical scavenging activity, which refers to antioxidants protecting cells from free radical damage (Donno et al, 2016). Additionally, serviceberry has been shown to have anti-viral activity against enteric coronavirus, anti-diabetic properties, and exhibits the ability to regulate fat metabolism and energy expenditure (Donno et al, 2016).

Limitations

Though serviceberry was a primary food sources for settlers and Indigenous peoples alike, its natural distribution in the wild posed challenges for collection of harvesting (Donno et al, 2016). Serviceberry is highly sensitive to environmental pollutants, because of this, it is not very tolerant of heat in urban areas, nor the pollution (Sheahan, 2015). The leaves of serviceberry plants contain lower nitrogen concentrations than those of other urban landscaping trees, so acquiring nitrogen may be an issue in urbanized areas (Sheahan, 2015). Since serviceberry is a part of the Rosaceae family, it is susceptible to many of the same diseases that terrorize plants in the rose family. Much of the damage is only cosmetic, however, this could pose a problem for serviceberry’s use as an ornamental (Sheahan, 2015). The bark of a serviceberry tree is also very thin, so it is quite susceptible to damage by any machinery (Sheahan, 2015). This poses another problem for use as an ornamental. Though the wood of a serviceberry tree is hard, heavy, and can hold polish well, the small size of the tree limits its use in wood production (Sheahan, 2015).

References

1.Atlas of Wisconsin. (n.d.) Ojibwe Migration [infographic]. Retrieved from https://project.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/ojibwe.html

2.Brock University Map Library. (2004). The linguistic subdivisions of the Cree (American Indian) language [infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.brocku.ca/maplibrary/images/canadaNONAMES.pdf

3.Donno, D., Cerutti, A.K., Mellano, M.G., Prgomet, Z., Beccaro, G.L. (2016). Serviceberry, a berry fruit with growing interest of industry: Physicochemical and quali-quantitative health-related compound characterisation. Journal of Functional Foods, 26, 157-166. doi: 10.1016

4.Frohn, J. (2018). Looking for Serviceberry. Retrieved from https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2018/01/looking-serviceberry

5.Jackson, E. (n.d.) Cherokee Nation, 1831 [infographic]. Retrieved from https://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/gastudiesimages/Cherokee%20Nation%20Map.htm

6.Kausen, D. (2022) Fruits: Amelanchier canadensis [photograph]. Retrieved from https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/amelanchier/canadensis/

7.Kimmerer, R. (2022, October 26). The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance. Retrieved from https://emergencemagazine.org/essay/the-serviceberry/

8.Lovit, M. (2022). Flowers: Amelanchier canadensis [photograph]. Retrieved from https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/amelanchier/canadensis/

9.Ontario. (2014). Serviceberries. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/page/serviceberries

10.Sheahan, C.M. (2015). Plant guide for Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis). USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Retrieved from https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_amca4.pdf