I planted this downy serviceberry in 2023 in Asheville, NC. It has fruited beautifully this year but the fruits are so bitter/tannic that they are truly inedible. They are so bad that even the birds are letting them dry up on the tree! Can anyone suggest what may be going on? The fruits tasted the same last year.
It may have some issue with either pests or fungus (see photo). The soil is clay, but Iāve been top dressing with compost in hopes of improvement.
by kojent_1
20 Comments
The berries and leaves in your picture are not Downy Serviceberry or any other serviceberry. Looks like it might be Black Chokeberry. (Aronia melanocarpa)
Are you sure that’s serviceberry? It looks *a lot* like *Aronia melanocarpa*
That looks like Chokecherry (Aronia melanocarpa.) Their fruit is technically edible but very tart / tannic, hence the āchoke.ā
Definitely *Aronia melanocarpa*
People usually only eat chokeberries if they’ve been made into jams, jellies, or pies, or if they’ve been specially bred for human consumption. The raw berries of the straight species are safe to eat, but they don’t taste very good.
Bro either got plant species mixed up or got ripped off from where they got it because this is 100% Aronia melanocarpa.
Also, I’m the outlier here because I actually kinda like the super tart, bitter tannic fruits on straight wild Aronia.
Hereās NC Stateās page for Serviceberry:
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/amelanchier/
If it makes you feel any better, the serviceberries I planted are apparently so delicious I’ve never gotten one before the birds!
But, my fellow cesspool-of-sinner, did you know there are serviceberry trees in Pack Square and other public places downtown? [Here’s a link to more info and a map if you want to go searching next spring!](https://www.ashevillenc.gov/news/free-for-the-picking-find-serviceberries-in-asheville-parks-and-along-roadsides/)
Were you growing it for your own consumption or for wildlife? If the latter, you might get some bird action later on in the year. If it makes you feel any better, my serviceberries get cedar quince rust so bad every year that no one can eat the fruits. Didn’t realize when I planted them that the native cedars in the area would be such a big problem.
Aronia fruits are ready befor the frost and must be cooked befor you eat but are packed with antioxidants and make wonderful preserves.
What do they taste like
I have three generic service berries and I never have berries left. The birds sit and wait for the berries to ripen like they’re praying to their bird god to hurry up the process. The berries are bright red.
Glad to see I didnāt need to set anyone straight, because that is definitely not a member of Amelanchier.
I made wine of Aronia and it was tasty. Try making jams etc.Ā
Serviceberries are the size of small frozen peas btw haha
Black chokeberry, they are very nutritious but kinda gross. I’m planning on harvesting some and sneaking them into smoothies. Most people who harvest them process them into a jam, jelly, or make wine. I don’t use those products so I’ll take some for the smoothies and leave the rest for the birds- honestly the mammals get them where I live.
OP hasnāt replied to a single comment yet but maybe this oneā¦ Thatās not a Serviceberry!!
Serviceberryās bloom early summer. Red berries.
Hi local friend. Take a drive up to Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville (check available stock on their website first) and get yourself a new tree. Theyāll hook you up with an actual serviceberry. Their trees are small, but serviceberries grow quickly.
Thank you everyone for making me laugh so hard today. I confirmed with my saved receipt from 2023 that I āpurchasedā a downy serviceberry that wasĀ a mislabeled black chokeberry. It never occurred to me to fact check my assumption and Iād never actually seen a serviceberry up close, just read about them. I bought from a well respected native plant nursery so I am sure they will make things right and Iāll have a serviceberry to plant in the fall, but I will keep the aronia! I just wonāt try to eat the berries anymore.Ā
When we purchased our house in 2021; the yard was filled with giant bamboo, kudzu, and English ivy. I will post before and after pics here someday. Iāve learned SO much about native plant restoration and actually saw my first monarchs in the yard yesterday! All things considered, I view this hiccup as a hilarious bump in the road of a very rewarding journey. Thanks to this great community!Ā