Sorbus aria – Whitebeam, Mountain ash, Chess apple

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Rosaceae

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam, Mountain ash, Chess apple

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Native to Central and Southern Europe, where this tree grows mainly on drier calcareous soils. It is a mountain ash remarkable for its relatively large oval leaves that are white and felt-like on the underside. The tree grows slowly and branches out lower down so that the smooth trunk remains short. Young twigs are remarkably grey and felt-like: later they turn brownish-green. The leaf buds and the emerging leaves are also grey and bear soft hairs. Later the upper side of the leaves turns dark green because the hairs fall off. The leaves remain on the tree until far into the autumn and they gradually turn yellow. The tree produces abundant flowers in bunches approx. 10 cm wide: these appear in May after the emergence of the leaves. The orange-red, edible but mealy berries follow in the autumn. The roots go deep and there is a definite taproot.

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Specifications
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Height
12 - 15 m
Crown
wide-spreading spherical to broad oval, half-open crown
Bark and branches
grey, smooth, later slightly grooved, young twigs grey and felt-like
Leaf
broad-oval to almost round, underside white and felt-like, 8 - 14 cm
Flowers
in bunches approx. 10 cm wide, white, May, after emergence of leaves
Fruits
orange-red, Ø approx. 1.2 cm, round-oval
Spines/thorns
None
Toxicity
usually not toxic to people, (large) pets and livestock
Soil type
not very demanding, preferably calcareous and not wet
Paving
tolerates no paving
Winter hardiness zone
5a (-28,8 to -26,1 °C)
Wind resistance
fairly to good
Other resistances
resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6), can withstand wind
Fauna tree
valuable for bees (honey plant), provides food for birds
Application
avenues and broad streets, tree containers, roof gardens
Shape
clearstem tree, multi-stem treem
Origin
Central and Southern Europe, North Africa
Clear stem tree Multi-stem tree calcareous soil loamy soil sandy soil tolerates no paving resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6) can withstand wind broad conical 1st size , taller than 12 metres half-open crown green white May early sprout average growing Conspicuous bloom valuable for bees (honey plant) provides food for birds non-toxic (usually) Ornamental fruit
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Frequently asked questions
Sorbus aria

Sorbus aria can eventually reach a height of 12 - 15 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

Sorbus aria is average growing and can eventually reach a height of 12 - 15 m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

The right time to plant Sorbus aria is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Sorbus aria with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.

Sorbus aria blooms in may.
General