This group consists of beautiful, flowering shrubs and trees mostly native of North America. They are commonly known as Serviceberries, Juneberries, Shadbush, Shad-blow and Snowy Mespilus.
Serviceberries are some of the earliest spring-blooming trees.
These trees have slender branches and smooth, pale gray bark. The flowers are followed, in early summer, by small, sweet, red or purple berries. The berries are hidden among the dark green leaves and birds tend to devour them before gardeners realize they are ripening. They were a source of food in the pioneer days and are sometimes used in making jellies. It is covered in smooth, green leaves that are clothed with soft gray hairs when they first unfurl, thus the common name.