Saskatoon Berry: The Plant Behind Our City's Name

The saskatoon berry is a small purple fruit that grows wild across the Prairies. It also gave our city its name.

We started XUSI in Saskatoon in 2020, on Treaty 6 territory. We see these shrubs in river valleys, parks and backyards every summer. Here is what official sources say about the plant, the name and how to grow and use it.

What is a saskatoon berry?

The saskatoon is Amelanchier alnifolia. The Canadian Encyclopedia describes it as "a small to large shrub or tree 4 to 6 m high." Manitoba Agriculture places it in the rose family and notes it is related to apples and hawthorns.

The plant is very hardy. Both sources say it survives winter temperatures of -50 to -60°C. The Canadian Encyclopedia gives it a lifespan of 30 to 50 years.

The berries change colour as they ripen. The University of Saskatchewan's gardening pages say they start white, then turn red and finally deep purple.

Where the saskatoon berry grows

The Canadian Encyclopedia says the plant grows "from western Ontario to British Columbia and the Yukon." Manitoba Agriculture says it is native to the Canadian Prairies, the Northwest Territories and Alaska. Its range also reaches the northwestern and north central United States.

The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that Saskatchewan recognizes it as the provincial fruit. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan calls it "one of Saskatchewan's most popular native fruit species."

How Saskatoon got its name

The city's name comes from the berry. The Canadian Encyclopedia says Saskatoon "takes its name from a Cree word for the sweet, fleshy fruits."

Its article on the city gives the Cree word as "Mis-Sask-quah-toomina," for the saskatoon berry, which grew abundantly in the area. The Encyclopedia uses careful wording here: the name "may be derived" from that word.

The University of Saskatchewan also describes the berries as the fruit "that the city's name comes from." We are not language teachers, so we share the spelling as the source gives it. For more on the language, see our Cree language basics article.

Traditional uses, including pemmican

The Canadian Encyclopedia says Indigenous peoples and early settlers valued the berries highly. It also states: "On the prairies, saskatoons were a major ingredient in pemmican."

Its pemmican article explains the food itself. Pemmican is "dried meat, traditionally bison pounded into coarse powder and mixed with an equal amount of melted fat." Makers sometimes added saskatoon berries, cranberries and other fruit for flavour.

The same article says Indigenous peoples and Métis communities made pemmican. It was an essential food for the fur trade on the Prairies. We keep to what these sources say and do not add teachings of our own.

The saskatoon berry today

Commercial orchards began in the late 1980s, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan says the saskatoon "has now overtaken the strawberry as the most important fruit crop on the Prairies."

The Government of Saskatchewan gives some numbers for this province:

• Saskatoon berries "lead the industry in acreage and market development."
• About 1,100 acres are planted in the province.
• Saskatchewan holds 28 per cent of Canada's saskatoon berry orchards and more than 34 per cent of its commercial acreage.
• Products include jams, jellies, sauces, frozen fruit, dried fruit and teas.

Research is ongoing here in Saskatoon. The USask Fruit Program reports that the university keeps about 2,000 saskatoon berry genetic varieties. A team led by Dr. Anže Švara is studying their genetics to lay groundwork for breeding new varieties.

How to grow saskatoon berries

The University of Saskatchewan's gardening advice is practical and clear. Here are the main points.

• Sun. Saskatoons do best in full sun. Avoid frost pockets.
• Soil. They tolerate most soils but do best in well drained loam or sandy loam.
• Spacing. Plant 1 to 1.5 m (3 to 5 feet) apart. Plants fill in to form a solid hedge within about five years.
• Planting depth. Set plants 2.5 to 5 cm deeper than they were in the nursery pot.
• Mulch and water. Add compost and a layer of woody mulch. Keep the soil moist for two to three weeks after planting.
• Pruning. Prune in fall or winter. Remove diseased wood at any time.

USask lists cultivars including 'Honeywood', 'Northline', 'Martin', 'Smoky', 'Pembina', 'Regent', 'Thiessen' and 'JB-30'. Manitoba Agriculture says 'Smoky' dominates plantings in that province.

Be patient. The Canadian Encyclopedia says plants begin to fruit three to four years after transplanting. Manitoba Agriculture says the largest yields come between 12 and 15 years.

Common problems

USask names birds and wildlife as the main concern. Insect pests include saskatoon bud moth and saskatoon sawfly. Diseases include saskatoon-juniper rust, cytospora dieback and fireblight.

Manitoba Agriculture calls disease the most serious challenge for growers, especially Entomosporium leaf and berry spot.

When and how to pick them

Flowers appear from early May to early June, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia. Harvest runs from mid- to late July.

USask shares a few picking tips:

1. Pick in the cool of the morning or later in the evening.
2. Plan for several pickings, because the berries do not ripen evenly.
3. Pick only deep purple berries.
4. Cool them quickly. USask suggests coolers with ice water right after picking.

If you do not grow your own, the Government of Saskatchewan notes that u-picks have long been a major way growers sell fruit.

Ways to use saskatoon berries

You do not need a special recipe to start. USask lists juice, jelly, jam, compote, dried berries and fruit leather. It also suggests baking them into cakes, muffins, cobblers, crisps and pies.

Manitoba Agriculture adds syrups, ice cream toppings and flavour concentrates. A few simple ideas:

• Stir fresh berries into oatmeal or yogurt.
• Freeze a batch in July for winter muffins.
• Simmer berries into a quick sauce for pancakes.
• Bake a crisp with whatever you picked that week.

A berry, a city and where we come from

For us, the saskatoon berry is part of home. It is the fruit behind the name of the city where we started. Read more in Treaty 6, Saskatoon and where XUSI comes from, or visit our About page.

If you are looking for Indigenous-owned clothing made in this city, see Indigenous clothing in Saskatoon or browse the full collection.

Questions people ask

What is the scientific name of the saskatoon berry?

It is Amelanchier alnifolia, a shrub or small tree in the rose family.

Is Saskatoon named after the berry?

Yes. The Canadian Encyclopedia says the city takes its name from a Cree word for the fruit, and gives that word as "Mis-Sask-quah-toomina."

When are saskatoon berries ready to pick?

The Canadian Encyclopedia puts harvest from mid- to late July. Berries are ready when they turn deep purple, and they ripen unevenly.

Were saskatoon berries used in pemmican?

Yes. The Canadian Encyclopedia says saskatoons were a major ingredient in pemmican on the Prairies.

Sources

• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Saskatoon Berry
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Saskatoon
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Pemmican
• Government of Saskatchewan: Fruit
• Manitoba Agriculture: Saskatoon Berries
• University of Saskatchewan, Gardening at USask: Saskatoons
• USask Fruit Program: Better berries
• USask College of Agriculture and Bioresources: Better berries
• The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan: Fruit Industry