Smokey Saskatoon Berry
Smokey Saskatoon Berry
Species: Amelanchier alnifolia
History: Smokey (sometimes spelled Smoky) likely originated in Alberta. This productive variety was once the main cultivar grown in Canada commercially.
Why We Grow It: Smokey saskatoon berries are optimal for the fresh eating market with a mild sweet flavour. These berries are a great substitute for blueberries. Smokey is one of the best yielding varieties, and grows up to 12 feet tall. Saskatoons by nature are slow growing, and while they will bear fruit in 1-3 years, it can take up to 15 years for a full crop.
Photo by Cindy Malette from Burst
Fruit Specs
Fruit Specs
Recommended Use: Fresh eating, baking, cooking, preserving, juice, drying
Fruit Size:
Storage: Keeps 1-2 weeks when stored in the fridge
Harvest: June
Growing Specs
Growing Specs
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 2
Soil Preference: Anything but clay
Flowering Time:
Bloom Colour: White
Pollination Requirements: Self-pollinating, this variety will produce fruit without a different variety of Saskatoon berry but will produce more and better fruit if one is present
Sun/Shade Requirements:
Full sun to partial shade (approx. 6-10 hours of sun daily)
General Growth Habits:
Shrub grows about 3.5m tall, has an upright and spreading growth habit, low vigour, low precocity
Shipping vs. Pick Up
Shipping vs. Pick Up
CLICK HERE to see how shipping compares to pick up.
Shipping: Every year we ship thousands of trees across Canada (except BC due to CFIA regulations). We carefully bag roots in damp sawdust, then box them and send them out via courrier. CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.
Pick-up: We also have thousands of trees picked up from our nursery each year. The pick-up options is free, though you must wait until you have been emailed a confirmation that your order is ready to pick up, which will have further information such as hours, locations, etc. We really appreciate if you can make an appointment to pick up, then we can be as organized as possible during our busy season.
Size at Purchase
Size at Purchase
Saskatoon berries are divided into the following grades:
- 2 year plant - 15-40cm
There is some overlap in size since we are also taking the age of the plants into account. Some older plants may not have put on quite as much vegetative growth but will have larger root systems.
Unless specified, heights exclude the roots since seedlings and some berries will often have a lot of root growth but relatively little vegetative growth (ex. our Shagbark Hickories seedlings are often 5-15cm above the soil but will have roots that reach 20cm+ in length).
Not all of our berries and seedlings will be available in all of these grades since growth rate can vary significantly across species and even varieties. While we remain competitive in our plant size, it's also worth noting we don't use synthetic chemicals to push vegetative growth, therefore you may find conventional nursery stock larger in some instances comparatively.