Saskatoon flowers

Photographed these Saskatoon flowers when I was on a walk west of Calgary, at Bow Valley Provincial Park, on 15 May 2010. It's a very common shrub here in the city, too.

"Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon, Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, alder-leaf shadbush, dwarf shadbush, chuckley pear, or western juneberry, is a shrub with edible berry-like fruit, native to North America from Alaska across most of western Canada and in the western and north central United States ..... The name "saskatoon" derives from the Cree inanimate noun misâskwatômina (misâskwatômin NI sg saskatoonberry, misâskwatômina NI pl saskatoonberries). The city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is named after the berry.

Canadian growers are currently moving to position saskatoon berries as a superfruit, following the vogue for such fruits as wild blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, and açaí." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelanchier_alnifolia

A short distance south of Calgary, is the Saskatoon Farm, where they sell plants and also different food items, such as Saskatoon berry pie, that contain these berries. They also have a small restaurant where you can have lunch - I've had their quiche and hashbrowns, which are so good! You can also go and pick your own berries.

"The saskatoon has long been a treasured wild fruit and a prairie tradition, having been a plentiful staple fruit for the prairies for years. It is often compared to the blueberry in terms of the berry's size, texture and flavor with an almondy flavor."

www.saskatoonfarm.com/main.htm