Plant
Western Serviceberry
Amelanchier alnifolia
Photo: Walter Siegmund, CC BY-SA 3.0
Common Names
Serviceberry
Habitat
Open woodlands, hillsides, and stream banks throughout the West
First Observed
1806-04-15
Observed At
Narrows of the Columbia River, near present-day The Dalles, Oregon
Lewis was the first to collect a specimen of the western serviceberry for science. The berries were a favorite food of the entire expedition, and Lewis recorded that the Lemhi Shoshone also prized them. The plant’s sweet berries were eaten fresh, dried for winter use, and mixed with pemmican by Native peoples throughout the West.
Journal Excerpt
Lewis, April 15, 1806: "Serviceberry. A small bush, the narrows of the Columbia R. April 15, 1806. This shrub grows from 4 to 12 feet high, produces a berry which is much esteemed by the natives and is in fact a very pleasant fruit."
Journal References
2 journal entries mention Western Serviceberry
Aug
2
1805
Lewis: August 2, 1805
... perple serviceberries, which
I found to be excellent. the serviceberry grows on a small bush and
differs from ours only in colour size and superior excellence of it's
f...
Aug
3
1805
Lewis: August 3, 1805
... small willow, the small honeysuckle,
rosebushes, currant, serviceberry, and goosbery bushes; also a small
species of berth in but small quantities the leaf which is oval...
