Two of the giveaway perennial plants at the Master Gardener booth at the 2025 Kandiyohi County Fair this year will be serviceberry and wild indigo. The Kandiyohi Soil and Water Conservation District donated 25 of each to us this spring to highlight erosion and shoreline plants at the fair.
Two Master Gardeners potted them up and have been growing them this summer. These plants coordinate with our theme of “Clean Water” this year. Six of each variety will be given each day of the fair to interested fairgoers. Further information will be forthcoming.
What is a serviceberry? Jennie Wagner, University of Minnesota Extension educator, has provided some interesting information about this plant. It is also called juneberry or saskatoon. Most species are found in North America. It has early spring flowers, tasty berries and colorful fall foliage. They are becoming known as a native landscaping plant.
They have a pome fruit, like apples, and are members of the rose family and are deciduous shrubs or small trees. Serviceberries are one of the earliest plants to bloom in the spring, producing short-lived white to pink flowers.
In June they produce dark purple berries that taste a bit like blueberries. In the fall their foliage turns brilliant yellow to red. They are an excellent plant for pollinators, and berries provide a food source for birds and other wildlife.
Most serviceberry varieties are hardy in Minnesota. The prefer full sun to partial shade. Varieties grown for fruit will produce more in full sun. They prefer loamy, well-drained but moist soils.
Serviceberries have been an important food source for Native Americans.
It has been said that their blossoms were an important sign of spring, indicating that the ground was thawed enough to bury anyone who died during the winter. The name “serviceberry” comes from that association with funerals.
This plant sounds like a fun addition to your landscape and also will support pollinators and wildlife.
Wild indigo will be discussed in a future column.
It is interesting how late the different varieties of daylilies are blooming this year. Some years the Stella de Oro are blooming in May. This year mine didn’t start blooming until the first day of summer. And now some of the other varieties are just starting to set bloom.
Hard to know if it was because of the dry April and early May, if it was because it was cold and almost freezing one day and then over 90 degrees another — back and forth. We can be glad that they are now blooming and thriving.
There have been many reports of hosta dying over winter and that is unusual. I have noticed that where it seemed some hosta didn’t make it, after the abundance of June rain, they suddenly appeared.
Deer seem to be more of a problem this year on the hosta — and other flowers as well. Squirrels and raccoons did a number on potted plants, digging them up at night. How many times can you repot an annual before they give up?
Some gardeners report that sticking plastic knives and forks around the plants in the pot has helped them. Others report it doesn’t do a thing other than having to pick up the dug-up knives and forks along with the plants.
Master Gardener Sue Morris has been writing a column since 1991 for Kandiyohi County newspapers. Morris has been certified through the University of Minnesota as a gardening and horticulture expert since 1983. She lives in Kandiyohi County.