Saskatoon

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Amelanchier genus supports 119 lepidoptera species in the region, making it a keystone genus for caterpillar biodiversity. Top associations include Luna Moth (Actias luna), Cecropia Silkmoth (Hyalophora cecropia), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), and Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus). The dense thickets also provide critical nesting habitat for songbirds.
S13 119 spp; S64 nest site flag
🐛 Larval Host: Limenitis archippus, Paonias myops, Acronicta interrupta, Limenitis arthemis, Papilio glaucus, Campaea perlata, Paonias excaecatus, Actias luna, Schizura concinna, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Catocala praeclara
S13+S15 14 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Persistent pomes consumed by Ruffed Grouse (12.25% diet occurrence, 6% by volume), American Robin, Dusky Grouse, and Western Bluebird. Fruits ripen mid-summer but dried remnants may persist into early winter on branches, providing forage for resident and wintering birds.
S57 Avian Diet Database; S44 pome dispersal by animals

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) with Canadian national rank N5. IUCN Least Concern. Not listed under SARA. In Ontario ranked S4 (Apparently Secure). Quebec occurrence excluded by VASCAN; NatureServe lists no QC subnational rank. GBIF preserved specimens from Hull, Deschenes, Aylmer, and Luskville suggest historical presence on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River, but VASCAN classifies QC status as excluded.
S22 G5, N5, IUCN LC; S26 not SARA listed; S1 QC excluded; S48 QC specimens
Rarity Ranks: QC SNA – Not Applicable, ON S4 – Apparently Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: A thicket-forming shrub of open woodlands, rocky slopes, and stream margins across western and central North America. In Ontario, found on limestone alvars, sandstone outcrops, and sandy woods along the Ottawa River valley. Specimens from Britannia, Constance Bay, and South March Highlands grow in thin soil over bedrock in association with Quercus alba, Pinus strobus, and Acer rubrum. Forms dense suckering colonies on well-drained, often calcareous substrates.
S48 specimen habitat data; S29 thickets, woodland edges, stream banks; S6 widespread and polymorphic

Roles: Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor, Shelterbelter, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Insectary Plant: S72 Hemenway (tables: appendix_a, 9-1, pp. 137, 186); S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)] | Shelterbelter: S72 Hemenway (tables: appendix_a, 9-1, pp. 137, 186); S72 Hemenway (tables: appendix_a, 9-1, pp. 137, 186)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: appendix_a, 9-1, pp. 137, 186)]
Notes: Excellent guild component as a shrub-layer element providing edible fruit, pollinator resources, and wildlife cover. In a white oak/hazelnut guild, serves as shelterbelter and insectary plant. Suckering habit creates dense windbreaks and erosion control. Self-fertile but benefits from cross-pollination. Can be grafted onto A. lamarckii or Sorbus aucuparia rootstock to prevent unwanted hybridization.
S72 guild roles; S29 shelterbelt, soil stabilization, food forest; S6 hybridizes freely

Category: Laxative, Ophthalmic, Stomachic, Diaphoretic, Febrifuge, Contraceptive, Birthing Aid, Appetizer
S29 PFAF medicinal categories; S28 Moerman Drug categories
Notes: Widely used by North American Indigenous peoples. Berry juice used as mild laxative and for upset stomachs. Decoction of fruit juice applied as ear and eye drops, including for snow-blindness (inner bark infusion). Root decoction used for colds and menstrual regulation. Stem decoction with snowberry (Symphoricarpos) is diaphoretic, used for fevers, flu, chest pains, and lung infections. Combined with bitter cherry (Prunus emarginata) as contraceptive. Bark decoction taken after childbirth to hasten placental delivery. Health Canada classifies as approved herbal ingredient (NHP).
S29 PFAF detailed uses; S28 21 medicinal uses; S36 Health Canada NHP approved

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: One of the finest wild fruits of North America. Berries resemble blueberries with a sweet apple-like flavor and subtle almond notes. Eaten fresh, dried as raisins, or processed into jams, pies, syrups, and wines. Central to Indigenous food traditions: crushed with meat and fat to make pemmican, a high-energy preserved food. Commercially cultivated in Canada. Rich in iron, copper, vitamin C, calcium, manganese, and antioxidants. Leaves used as tea substitute. Only fruits should be consumed; other plant parts contain cyanogenic compounds (prunasin).
S29 edibility 5/5, detailed uses; S28 27 food uses across multiple nations