PSC 2620: Woody Trees and ShrubCourse HomeWeek 7

Sorbus aucuparia - European Mountainash

Plant Viewer
White flowers appear in corymbs during the spring. Large clusters of bright and ornamental fruit appear during summer and persist into winter.
The leaf is pinnately compound. It reaches 5-9 inches long with 9-15 leaflets per leaf. Each leaflet is oblong in shape and the top half or so of the leaflet is serrated.

Plant Description

Sorbus aucuparia, or European Mountainash, is a small to medium tree. It grows 20-40 feet high with 15-35 foot spread. It has a good ovate and rounded form. It prefers to grow in well-drained soil and performs well in sun or part-shade. It is a quick growing tree, but short lived. The bark is an orangish-brown color and has prominent horizontal lenticels.

The leaves are pinnately compound, 5-9 inches long and a dark green color. There are 9-15 leaflets, 3/4 - 2 1/2 inch long oblong or lanceolate in shape with a serrated margin, but usually entire on the lower third of the leaf.

White flowers appear in early spring. They are held on 3-5 inch flat corymbs. The flowers are somewhat showy, but do not appear profusely. In the sumer, large clusters of 1/4 inch in diameter pome fruit appear on the tree. The fruit is a bright red or orange color. The fruit is more showy than the flowers.

Landscape Use

It has the perfect size and form to be used as a lawn tree or small shade tree in today's small residential lots.

Points of interest

It is very susceptible to fireblight and the leaves will quickly burn if not watered regularly.

Flowering pears are also considerably susceptible to fireblight.

Notable Cultivars

Cardinal Red A quick grower with a good upright form. The leaves have a silver tinge beneath them. The fruit has a very good red color.