Saskatoon Berry
Saskatoon berries (Amelanchier alnifolia) look much like blueberries, though they are more closely related to the apple family. Many would describe the taste of saskatoon as having a sweet, nutty almond flavor. They are also high in fiber, protein and antioxidants. Berries ripen in late June or early July. They grow in many conditions, from sea level to mountain peaks, and are less picky about soils conditions than blueberries. Like their apple cousins, saskatoons continue to ripen after they are picked. Fully mature berries are sweeter and have a fuller fruit flavor, but are softer and more easily damaged. Saskatoon bushes are a deciduous shrub or small tree that can reach 16 ft in height. The mature bushes sport white flowers each spring. Saskatoons are native to North America, growing wild from Alaska to Maine.