ABSTRACT
The Saskatoon is native from Alaska south to California, extending east to Ontario in Canada and the midwestern United States. Saskatoons occur in open prairies, coulees (deep gulches or ravines that are often periodically dry; a western North American term), open woods, and on bluffs, hillsides, and stream banks. Soils range from dry and rocky to deep, fertile, and moist. Saskatoon berries can be substituted freely for blueberries in most recipes and dishes. They are good eaten fresh, cooked in pies and other desserts, or made into wine, jams, jellies, syrups, ice cream toppings, liqueurs, and flavor concentrates for baked goods. Saskatoon has become a significant minor fruit crop, especially in Canada, where about 2000 orchards are managed in the western provinces, particularly in Alberta. There are more than two dozen cultivars, and breeding of improved varieties is continuing.
