Saskatoon is one of our most beautiful shrubs; pretty flowers in spring, nutritious fruit in fall, a striking blueish-green foliage in summer, and striking fall colour before leaf drop. You can find several specimens of saskatoon at Pipers Lagoon park in Nanaimo, though they occur here and there elsewhere too.
Saskatoon is found in diverse habitats. Where moisture is available, it can grow quite large (>15 feet tall), while in drier sites, such as at Pipers Lagoon in Nanaimo, it stays smaller around 6-8 feet tall. Photo credit: Andrey Zharkikh Often you’ll notice a saskatoon bush by by its slightly blueish-green foliage that stands out against other vegetation. This photograph was taken in Bowen Park in Nanaimo.Note the egg-shaped leaves that have a smooth edge near the base, but forward-pointing teeth near the tip. Photo credit: Lynda StevensThe egg-shaped leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. Note the smooth leaf edge near the base of the leaf, and the forward-pointing teeth along the upper half. Photo credit: Lynda StevensClusters of white long-petaled flowers appear in late spring. Photo credit: Lynda StevensFive petals per flower, and many stamens – similar to many other members of the Rosaceae family (compare e.g. to Rosa nutkana). Photo credit: Lynda StevensImmature green fruit showing in early summer. Photo credit: Lynda StevensThe dark purple fruit contains high concentrations of anthocyanin pigments. These pigments have antioxidant properties and are considered beneficial in the the human diet. Photo credit: Bryant OlsenThe fruit of saskatoon are an important food source for both animals and humans. Photo credit: Andrew Reding
