6.15.2011

Identification; Amelanchier alnifolia, Service Berry Flowers


wanting to ID the flower buds in the last post
I drove the hour
hiked the hike
felt mystified by what it could have been
you see, the spiraling red in the bud is not common
I suppose that is why it caught my eye
most the bushes were covered in white buds
but upon close inspection, some flowers had lovely red veins
the plant is known as Service Berry Flowers
in fact I have one growing outside my window
silly me
these bushes will be covered in edible berries come summer
yum

Thank you for attempting to help me figure it out!
I wish I had been able to give you more information to go on

Since you were all so lovely to consider what the bud might be
I would love for one of you to receive the offer of two greeting cards

I went to an online random generator and it chose: Evil Shannanigans
Yea!



two poorly photographed examples of a wee bit of red in the petals and stem:


~


45 comments:

  1. very intrigued as to what a service berry is...so I Googled it...They are sold in the UK by their Latin name:
    Amelanchier canadensis.

    Once I started I found out what an interesting history the plant has.
    Thank you for teaching me something new.

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  2. Tammie, I think you have solved an 11 year long mystery. We have a lovely shrub under our Bramley apple tree. It has delightful white flowers with a pinkish tinge. Roundish serrated leaves and develops pink to purple berries every autumn.

    We have no idea what it is, but it is very possible it is the same shrub as your service berry. I am going to see if a friend can confirm it. I am so pleased to finally have a clue to this, it is one of our very favourite plants and it heralds spring in my garden.

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  3. hello Charlotte,
    so fun that you looked it up. I love google for this reason!

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  4. hello again Charlotte,
    How wonderful! Look where your curiosity is leading you. Awesome! Some people around here don't care for the service berry, but sometimes I think they taste better than our huckleberries which are like a small blueberry. Everybody loves the huckleberries! Hope you find out what your shrub is. When it fruits that will give you the answer.

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  5. OMG! isn't it wonderful that you are free to pursue that flower just to find out its name? To think that there are people right now in this world who are not free to do so? I often wonder about these relative situations in life. I don't feel guilty about being free to do what I can but I just wish the other women everywhere in the world hd the same liberty. I don't know why I am thinking of that today? I am listening to Patrick Bruehl singing French songs, while writing a program, of all things!

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  6. I so agree with you Ces, I would love for people to have the freedom to honor their passion, their truth, the spirit in their hearts. To take the time to visit with a flower, mushroom or follow clouds as they move through the sky.

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  7. i don't know it! is it tasty?!
    take care,
    Rosa

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  8. hello bikim,
    I find them to be tasty, some people don't care for them.

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  9. You have a special mission..please do not stop !
    Great great pics!
    Thanks for your kind visit! See you soon!
    Monica

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  10. So nice photos. Love them!!! Thanks for your kind comment on my blogg. Have a nice week to you.

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  11. Beautiful flowers and pictures! And the first one in your previous post, Service Berry Flowers, it's really beautiful and very well shot! :)

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  12. Great that this post at least showed up on my dashboard. I have a number of Amelanchier canadensis in our mountain garden and had up to now not known that their berries (purple) are edible. They are spectacular when flowering and also in autumn but the flower and leaf show is of brief duration. All the more precious.

    Your photos as always, are spectacular. and I have at least caught up on all the posts I have missed.

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  13. Tammie: I was pleasantly surprised
    when several Service Berry trees
    were in bloom earlier. The blossoms were a delight among all the ferns and Oak leaves that surround our New home! I look forward to seeing the berries!
    It is good to be back visiting your place of respite after my wee hiatus from blogging. Thank you for leading back here!hugs

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  14. I haven't seen this plant before - so delicate and tender. I read about it and whether it's suitable to be eaten here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier. I suppose you know the site.:)
    Thank you, Tammie, for your new discovery and for the precious opportunity you gave us to spend some minutes "out of time", "out of the day schedule" - to enjoy, admire and explore another proof of how great Nature is!:)

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  15. Isn't it wonderful that the bud tinged with red is prelude to the snowy white flower? Don't bears like serviceberries, too?

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  16. Sweet mystery! Neat stuff there. I admire all you accomplish with your heart, mind, and lens!

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  17. Neat! I hadn't heard of a service berry before - and they're edible?!

    -:¦:- WW: Drink Like a Fish -:¦:-

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  18. So nice to get the treat of a beautiful bud and flower plus an edible berry. Not one of my favorite berries, better when mixed with others.

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  19. so fun to see some of you learning of your own service berry bushes and others just meeting it. Some of us like to eat them, some of us don't care for them much. Barb, I think you are right, bears do delight in eating these berries!

    Thank you all for your visits and messages that mean so much to me.

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  20. AnonymousJune 15, 2011

    beauty is your work ...

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  21. By the way, I just like the idea of service plants and bushes!!! The first time I heard that term used, I was amused. There is another botanical term that comes to mind but not tonight. My mind is hollow. Good night!

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  22. So much better than my name!

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  23. Well done Tammie,I had to laugh when I found out an alternative name is the Chuckleberry

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  24. Hello.

     Lovely your works...
     The interchange of the artistry brings the peace of the heart.

     Thank you for your visit.
     Have a good weekend.

    Greetings, and Dear hug.
    from Japan.
    ruma

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  25. AnonymousJune 16, 2011

    Such a beautiful flower!

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  26. such delicate little flowers

    xt

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  27. thank you Remei

    Ces, you made me chuckle of 'service' plants and bushes.... perhaps they are indeed.

    then mister Glebe blog tells us it is also called Chuckle berry, fun.

    Ruma,
    thank you for your lovely heart.

    ladyfi,
    so glad you enjoyed

    t,
    delicate and come and gone so fast... will take a while for the berries to grow and ripen.

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  28. Very pretty Tammie, no matter what the identification is.

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  29. It's a beauty - that first image is stunning to me - beyond words.

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  30. Another beautiful new treasure! :) I will have to go back and read the previous post. I'm thrilled that you discovered what this beauty was! :)

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  31. AnonymousJune 16, 2011

    Very interesting name for a flower. I adore your flower photos, Tammie. Long time no see! Hope you're well and so glad to stop by and see the beauty here again, after so long. xo Serena

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  32. Great shot. That first shot is wonderful! I love the lone, single drop of water on the leaf.

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  33. AnonymousJune 17, 2011

    Pretty! They are my favorite wild berries. A whole handfull at once gives a flood of great flavor.

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  34. The bokeh and selective focus in the first shot are lovely.

    We have these shrubs here too. I didn't know the berries were edible!

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  35. I like the way the jagged edge of the leaf at the top is in the same plane as the flowers below. It's hard to get things lined up that way, but you succeeded.

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  36. Such a beautiful post, pictures and poems !

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  37. Hi Tammie!
    And could you ask for a nicest riddle? There is little more relaxing than being in the middle of nature, maybe taking pictures or maybe just observing and taking it in.
    Beautiful!

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  38. Tammie, Lovely picture with that single drop of water on the leaf. There are sooooo many flowers and plants that it is difficult to keep up on what all of them are. Going from blog to blog, I have seem more unusual flowers than I can count--all interesting and beautiful. Have a nice weekend. Mickie :)

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  39. AnonymousJune 18, 2011

    I have never eaten the berries but they are supposed to be very nice.

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  40. oh these photos are amazing Tammie!!! you always blow me away...and that first one with the water droplet....amazing!!!!

    Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!!!

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  41. beautiful berry blossom picture!

    hmmm...service berry...to me, that name sounds as though it would produce TART berries! yum. i'll have to look that up and see if we have any around here...

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  42. So lovely - don't know the berries, but the flowers are beautiful!

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  43. Woop! I never win anything! Thank you Tammie...so honoured to win!

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Warm greetings to you~

Thank you for visiting and also for sharing your thoughts and feelings. Seeing anew through your eyes and heart mean so much to me!

Tammie