Photo by George Seiffert
Serviceberry tree
Serviceberry, Amelanchier Arborea, is also known as Juneberry and Shadbush, among many other names. This is a small North American native tree that grows between 20 and 25 feet tall and 6 feet wide. It has beautiful fragrant white-pink blossoms in the spring, dark red, blue, and dark purple berries in June, and has a magnificent display of burgundy, orange, and yellow leaves in the fall. Berries from the tree can be eaten and taste like a cross between cherries and blueberries. Native Americans used the berries as a source of food and also used the roots and bark for medicinal purposes. This is a beautiful ornamental tree that attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and songbirds. It requires full or partial sun, and it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and apparently well-suited for urban environments.
It has been said that the name "Serviceberry" began to be used by early settlers in New England. Funeral services were planned around the same time as the tree blossomed and when the ground had thawed.
What do you love about this particular creature?
What do they reveal to you about God and our faith?
I love this tree's name, "Service- Serviceberry". It reminds me that we were all made in God's image for service. Jesus became human to serve us and model for us how to love and serve others. The Serviceberry tree serves all of Creation by providing food, in some instances medicine, pollen for bees and butterflies, an avian home and respite for song birds, oxygen, shade to keep our communities cool, and amazing year-round beauty.
Author - Cathy Seibyl
Cathy Seibyl is a parishioner at Trinity Branford. She lives along the Connecticut shoreline and also has a home on a small island near the city of Portland, ME. In Maine, she is involved with an island community group addressing coastal erosion due to rising sea levels secondary to climate change.
O God of Creation and of all beautiful trees, thank you for the gift of the Serviceberry tree bearing beauty, shade, yummy berries, homes for songbirds, and pollen for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. May we mirror the gifts of this tree with our service to humankind - food for the hungry, shelter for the unhoused, respite for the tired, and hospitality for immigrants and refugees. Amen.