Serviceberries mostly grow as low-spreading shrubs, but they can also develop into trees up to 30’ tall. They produce edible, sweet fruits that birds, bears, and people eat. This plant is dotted throughout the landscape at the arboretum. I was looking forward to sampling them, and I was also interested to see what birds were eating them. Unfortunately, I found out that an orange fungus likes them too, which renders them inedible. On the other hand, I think that the fungus has a beautiful orange color and an interesting growth pattern. The shapes remind me of small flowers or splashes from tiny water droplets.
So far I haven’t found a serviceberry shrub out at the arboretum that isn’t infected by this rust. I wonder if something is out of balance in the ecosystem that allows this fungus to proliferate. That said, I am hopeful that I will find one somewhere at the arboretum that was missed by the fungus.
