Saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia)

Gitxsan name:  sgan gam
Wet'suwet'en name:  hlighah'

Botanical Description

• shrub to small tree, 1-5 metres tall with oval shaped, toothed leaves
• large, white leafy flower clusters
• purple to black berries that look like miniature apples
• found in dry to moist forests, thickets, open hillsides, and roadsides
• low to medium elevations

Photo courtesy of Blake Dickens (57kB)

Ethnobotanical Use

The saskatoon berries were eaten fresh, or boiled, though they were more often dried in cakes. The hard, straight-grained wood of the saskatoon was used by the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en peoples for arrow shafts because it dried firmly. The Wet'suwet'en also used the wood of the saskatoon to make slat armor and shields.

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This digital collection was produced under contract to the SchoolNet Digital Collection Program, Industry Canada.
Revised: 08/21/98