Saskatoon berry gets name change in U.S.

The Saskatoon berry gets a name change when it crosses the border into some U.S. states.

In Michigan and Minnesota, the delicious berry is known as the juneberry, which is what the variety found in the northeast U.S. is called.

Researchers at Cornell University found that Americans loved the taste of Saskatoon berries, but the name didn't resonate as well as juneberry. To capitalize on their thirst for the small purple berries, some U.S. marketers are asking Canadian growers to change their labelling.

"It's just on a request by our distributor if going into certain regions," said Sandra Purdy, president of the Saskatoon Berry Council of Canada. "He says 'they're more familiar with juneberries, so can you put that on the label,' and of course I do, but it's in much smaller print beneath the word 'Saskatoon berry.'"

Purdy, also the owner of Saskatchewan-based Prairie Berries, said there's no need to change the label on products exported to western states, like Washington and California. They know all about the berry with the same name as this city.