Serviceberries in Asheville parks are edible, free of any pesticides

serviceberries tree photo with Asheville City Hall in the background
Ripe serviceberries are available for picking in Asheville parks, including Pack Square Park.

Ripe serviceberries are available for picking in Asheville parks, including Pack Square Park in front of City Hall.

Edible serviceberries are ripening throughout many of Asheville’s parks, such as Park Square Park and Carrier Park. This native edible species is well adapted to our climate and feeds humans and birds alike.

Serviceberries are early fruiting trees, fruiting from late May into June. Because of this, some people call them June berries.

The City of Asheville Parks & Recreation Department maintenance staff do not spray the serviceberry trees with any type of insecticide, herbicide or fungicide. The trees and their berries are free of any City-applied chemical.

We encourage everyone to enjoy the fruits of this edible tree in our public parks, which supports the use of edible landscaping within the City’s Food Policy Action Plan.

For more information on the City’s Food Policy Action Plan, please visit the City’s Sustainability Website ashevillenc.gov/green.