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The Saskatoon, and
no, I don't know the relationship between the city and
the plant (though one might suspect that the city was
named for the abundance of the plant?), is a common shrub
in forested areas of Manitoba. It can even be found
occasionally as a pioneer in prairies and meadows. It is
a tall shrub (to 3 m) usually growing in clumps of many
upright stems. Deciduous forest is its usual habitat, but
it occurs throughout forested parts of Manitoba.
Saskatoons flower early,
in mid-May, and the fruit (a pome) is ready to pick by
early to mid-July. They are probably the second most
sought after "berry" (behind blueberry) in Manitoba. They
are sweet and great to eat raw, and make great jams,
jellies and pies. Saskatoons are eaten by all kinds of
birds and mammals. When they are thick on the bushes,
bears will pull down entire plants to get at the tasty
berries.
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