Saskatoons are considered to have high nutritional value as they are rich in antioxidants that are thought to play a role in helping our immune systems. Saskatoons also have a high polyphenols which play a role as anti-inflammatories and to prevent diabetes. Saskatoons also have calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, ascorbic acid, folic acid, panthothenic acid, pryridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin, tocopherols and fiber.

A 100g serving of frozen berries has 60 calories, 0.6g fat, 12g of carbohydrates (9g of net carbs), 3g of fiber and 1g of protein.

As the seeds are inside the berry and are consumed, saskatoons have higher fiber, protein and fat content than other fruit so they were an excellent choice to provide nutrition for Canada's indigenous people which they used as a major food staple. Summer camps were moved to good picking locations. While used in pemmican, the plant was also a source of medicine. Berries were used to treat diseases of the liver, disinfect, prevent miscarriages and the inner bark was used as a laxative. The Blackfoot peoples used saskatoons to treat diabetes.

The Canadian Food Guide recommends that roughly half of the food on your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

1. Saskatoons are native to western Canada, north western USA, Alaska, Yukon and the NWT. Since the mid 1960's, commercial orchards have sold trees to European countries.
2. Indigenous peoples used the berries to eat fresh, mashed or dried. Saskatoons were frequently found in pemmican.
3. The leaves can be used for teas making it ideal for medicinal uses. 
4. The wood is flexible so it was used by Indigenous people to make arrows, baskets, etc.
5. The word Saskatoon comes from the Cree word "Mis-sask-quah-too-mina" which means "tree of much wood".

Please find additional resources for saskatoons below:

• Grow with us - saskatoons
• Agri-facts: Saskatoons in Alberta
• Saskatoon Production Manual
• Plant Watch Alberta: Saskatoons

Some common cultivars are: 'Honeywood', 'Northline', 'Martin', 'Smoky', 'Pembina' and 'Thiessen'.

• 'Honeywood' - a late saskatoon cultivar. It has large fruit and low suckering.
• 'JB-30' - It has very large fruit and is a heavy producer. It has low suckering.
• 'Martin' - It has very large fruit but is not a heavy producer however it ripens uniformly. It is has moderate suckering. Dieter Martin, the breeder who developed this cultivar, was the landscaper responsible for the beautiful campus grounds at USask.
• 'Northline' - a late cultivar. It has large fruit that ripen at the same time. It suckers freely and is the most common commercial variety of saskatoons used in Canada.
• 'Pembina' - It has small fruit, is high yielding and a compact size with very little suckering which makes it a perfect choice for smaller urban gardens.
• 'Regent' - It has small fruit with very little suckering so this is a great choice for urban landscaping.
• 'Smoky' - a mid season cultivar. It has small berries with a strong almond flavor. While it is high yielding, it suckers freely.
• 'Thiessen' - an early cultivar. It has large fruit, excellent flavor, and is highly productive as the fruit ripen over a longer period of time. It is low suckering.

Any of the edible saskatoons make a lovely ornamental shrub too. 'Standing Ovation' is an ornamental saskatoon cultivar that is a good replacement for columnar aspen. It is a columnar style of shrub reaching up to 12' tall and works well in hedges provided it is in full sun. It has fine foliage that turns yellow in the fall. 'Standing Ovation' has white flowers and features deep purple berries from late spring to early summer. The berries are still edible for humans but since they are a smaller size, they are very attractive to birds. This is an excellence choice to grow in your yard if you'd like to bring in more birds and help improve our local monoculture of columnar aspen in urban areas. 

Saskatoons are hardy to Zone 1 and they can survive temperatures up to -60C so there are no additional special needs for growing these successfully in northern environments.

Saskatoons are often sold as small plugs or whips (from on-line distributors) or as larger plants in containers from nurseries. 

Plant in a hole that is big enough to accommodate the entire root mass.  Saskatoons should be planted about 2.5 - 5 cm (1" - 2") deeper than they were in the nursery container as this will encourage a multi-stemmed shrub rather than suckers spreading around the mother plant.

They should be spaced at least 1 - 1.5 m (3' - 5') apart from each other. When planted in a hedgerow, they will fill in the space between each plant within five years to form a solid hedge.

Keep the soil around newly planted shrubs moist (but not waterlogged) for the first 2 - 3 weeks.

Do not apply chemical fertilizer. You may apply 5 - 8 cm (2" - 3") of compost or well-composted manure at soil level, around the base of the plant before applying a 4-6" layer of woody mulch that extends at least 4 feet around the shrub. Do not mulch the crown of the shrub.

It's important not to allow grass or other plants such as perennial flowers (not to mention weeds!) within about 1 meter (3') of the stems of newly planted saskatoons. The competition from other plants can slow or stunt its growth. A better way is to space them properly and apply a 4-6" layer of woody mulch around the shrub. Avoid mulching the crown of the shrub as the trunk flare needs access to air or it will begin to rot.

For more information on planting shrubs and trees, please visit our planting trees and caring for trees webpages.

Saskatoons are self fruitful so only one plant is required however saskatoons that have been cross pollinated by bees will produce more fruit.

Saskaton shrubs have a pleasing vertical shape and with beautiful fall foliage that is yellow to orange in colour. They have white flowers that bloom early in spring, often before the leaves have fully emerged.

Saskatoons form a thicket over time and look nice as part of a large, mulched island bed.

Saskatoons can also be planted as an edible hedge or used in functional wildlife habitat shelterbelts. The shrubs are highly attractive to birds and wildlife. 

Prune in fall or winter as it is easier to see the form of the plant. Diseased or damaged wood can be removed at any time and suckers need to be controlled.

Saskatoons can be pruned to remove a few branches at the base of the shrub to allow more light and air to penetrate the plant. Watch the video to learn how!

Once the plant gets old and unproductive, it can be chopped down about 15 cm (6") above the soil surface and allowed to re-grow. This will rejuvenate the plant.

Saskatoons are winter hardy to -60C so no winter protection is required however their bark is a preferred food source for deer and rabbits so protecting the trees from wildlife in rural areas is a must.

The seeds of a saskatoon are inside the pome. To collect the seeds, carefully remove the pulp from around the seeds. Wash them in water to remove as much pulp as possible and allow them to air dry.

For more information on saving seeds, visit our seed saving page.

Wild saskatoon bushes are all genetic individuals so each will have their own unique flavour and qualities. If you're using a wild shrub for woody propagation, pick the best tasting shrub you can find since the "new" plant will taste similarly, providing it gets adequate sun, soil and moisture. If you're propagating from a known variety, this step has already been done for you.

In late winter or very early spring, place pruned branches in a bucket of water which will stimulate growth of roots to grow. The branches can be planted out in spring when the roots are well developed. It's a great way to bring a bit of spring into your home after a long winter.

Pick saskatoon berries in the cool of morning or later in the evening. Refrigerate the fruit as soon as possible after picking. We recommend taking a cool with ice water out to the berry patch with you. Pick berries into bags that seal and place them immediately into the cooler. This removes the field heat from the berry. Flavor can deteriorate by respiration very quickly if the saskatoons are not immediately cooled and stored in a cool location.

Hand picking the berries works the best. Lift a branch to find the berries as they may be hidden under the leaves.

Berry pickers can be used on saskatoons and you can also shake the berries off the bushes into a pail or tarp. We like to use children’s paddling pools! 

Long term preservation methods we recommend include freezing, fermenting, dehydrating (drying) or canning.

To view scientific research projects into saskatoon berries from around the world, please visit the links below:

• Bioactive components and health benefits of saskatoon berry
• Saskatoon variety evaluation
• Compositional and functional properties of saskatoon berry and blueberry
• Flavonoid profile of saskatoon berries and their health promoting effects
• Evaulation of saskatoon berry cultivars for their polyphenol content, antioxidant properties and storage stability