No berries on Serviceberry - Ask Extension
Hello, we live in Como Park area of St. Paul. Our Serviceberry shrub is at least 5 years old and I noticed it did not get berries this year, even thou...
Knowledgebase
No berries on Serviceberry #775664
Asked October 18, 2021, 9:53 AM EDT
Hello, we live in Como Park area of St. Paul. Our Serviceberry shrub is at least 5 years old and I noticed it did not get berries this year, even though it bloomed last spring. Is this a pollinator problem, or do we need a male/female pair of this shrub? Our other shrubs in the yard (Black Chokeberry, Winterberry) do have many berries on them. What time of year do the berries set on Serviceberry?
Ramsey County Minnesota
Expert Response
My guess is the cold snaps we had in May either nipped the blossoms or reduced the bee population. Other possibilities are lack of sun and overfertilizing.
Although Serviceberries are mostly self-fertile, so another plant nearby will help pollination. They set fruit after flowering and the fruit can be harvested usually in midsummer.
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/serviceberry
https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/shad.html
Black chokeberry and Winterberry both flower and fruit later:
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/black-chokeberry
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/winterberry
Although Serviceberries are mostly self-fertile, so another plant nearby will help pollination. They set fruit after flowering and the fruit can be harvested usually in midsummer.
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/serviceberry
https://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/articles/shad.html
Black chokeberry and Winterberry both flower and fruit later:
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/black-chokeberry
https://extension.umn.edu/trees-and-shrubs/winterberry
