Service-berry in bloom, photographer Martha Rasmussen
Service-berry also called "Saskatoon" which was shortened from the
Blackfoot Indian name "Mis-ask-wu-toomina," its small blue fruits were an important
ingredient in making pemmican. In the Appalachians the Spring
blooming flowers were gathered in profusion for Easter Service, thus
the common name Service Berry was given to this shrub.
The
Service-berry is a hardy native shrub growing in profusion in the
Darrington area thanks to the tasty small fruits eaten by many species
of birds which widely sow the seeds in their droppings. The fruits too
have been an important food source to the early settlers for making
pies, preserves and wine. The shrub tends to grow 5 to 15 feet tall
however one was recorded at 30 feet tall.
Service-berry grows abundantly in the Darrington area and will begin blooming in April. You will find it growing along roadways, trails, in fields, and as a treasured shrub in local gardens.