It is largely restricted to wet sites, particularly on the Atlantic coastal plain, growing at altitudes from sea level up to 200 m.[4][5][6] It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 0.5–8 metres (1.6–26.2 ft) tall with one to many stems and a narrow, fastigiate crown.

As the fruit ages it turns from a green color to red to purple and finally to black as it reaches maturity.

The fruits are a food source for many different species of birds and small mammals including cardinals, woodpeckers, robins, orioles, chipmunks, and squirrels.

It can hold polish and can be used to make fishing rods, walking sticks, and wooden handles.

The roots have been used for miscarriage, bark was used as a dewormer for children, was used to make disinfectant wipes, and could also be used to treat diarrhea and excessive bleeding while menstruating.

[14][15][16] Rust leaf spot blight and apple powdery mildew can occur on Amelanchier canadensis.

These horns can form on the fruit, leaves, stems, petioles, and twigs depending on the species of rust that has infected the tree.

Leaves can begin to fall off, the fruits can start to rot, and it is not unusual for part of the tree infected with rust to die during the next winter.

[17][18][19] The species is classified as Vulnerable in Canadian provinces and Georgia, critically imperiled in Pennsylvania, and considered Secure in all other states within its native range.