Shads are flowering.
When the shads bloom it means Spring has surely arrived.
All of a sudden, these diminutive trees burst out of the shadows of taller trees and cover themselves with delicate white flowers…it’s like snow in springtime.
In the valleys of Vermont this magic happens around the first week of May. Up here in the mountains I must wait another week for this treat…but it means I get to spread out my pleasure.
Shads grow naturally as an understory tree, especially towards the edge of the woods. Nestled among larger companions, they go almost unnoticed for most of the year. But they certainly make up for that in spring! With their white blossoms opening before the leaves, they are a stunning sight, in the woods and in the garden.
Yesterday as I drove home I saw this perfect little shad at the side of the road, blooming its heart out. A Simple Gift of nature after our long long winter!
A small tree with many names
Their Latin name is Amelanchier, and they belong to the Rose family.
Amelanchier have several common names with interesting origins.
- They are called Shads…or Shadbush— because they flower when the shad fish come up in the rivers.
- They are also called Serviceberries because they flower when, in New England, the burial services are held for people who died over the winter but the ground was too hard to dig a grave.
- And they are called Juneberries because of their edible fruit that ripens in June. Harvest them for pies or for a fruit sauce over a nice yogurt. But hurry… you will be competing with the cedar-waxwings, who adore these blueberry-sized fruit.
Use whichever name you like…they all refer to the genus Amelanchier!
The Amelanchier family
There are many species of Amelanchier which can be difficult to tell apart. They also hybridize easily, which means there are plenty of cultivars to choose from.
Two species, Amenanchier arborea and Amelanchier laevis, both native to the New England, are small trees which grow between 20′ and 35 when mature’.
Amalenchier canadensis is shaped like a large shrub and matures at only 12′ high. And Amelanchier alnifolia, which is the smallest family member, is a six to ten foot shrub that is grown commercially in western Canada as a fruit crop.
Amelanchier make beautiful garden trees
Any members of the Amelanchier clan make lovely additions to our gardens. They all have lovely white flowers in spring. They also turn a pretty red in fall, especially some of the cultivars, such as Autumn Brilliance.
They are shade tolerant and being relatively small they will not outgrow a spot near the house. But check the tag for the mature height, as some cultivars grow larger than others.
I also love Serviceberries at the edge of a wooded area,where they make a gentle transition between the taller trees in the woods and lawn.
But wherever you plant them make sure you will be able to see them from the house…as they bloom when it is still chilly outdoors!!