Pyrus decora
(Sarg.) Hyland
Showy mountain ash, Northern Mountain-ash
Wikimedia Commons - Hedwig Storch
Wikimedia Commons - Ryan Hodnett
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Spice
It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant for its cold-hardiness, its attractive flowers, and its large clusters of small red berry-like pomes. The fruits are an important source of food for wildlife, particularly birds in the winter and early spring.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows on the rocky banks of rivers and lakes. It suits hardiness zones 2-8.
Australia, Canada, Denmark, Greenland, North America, USA,
How to Identify
A small tree. It grows up to 15 m tall. The trunk is 15 cm across. The trunk is straight. It has a short rounded crown. The leaves are alternate and compound. There are 13-17 leaflets on a central stalk. The stalk is about 20 cm long. The leaflets are narrow and oval. They are 3-8 cm long. They have fine teeth from the middle to the tip. The upper surface is blue-green and they are paler underneath. They are slightly hairy when young. The flowers are on short, stout hairy stalks. The petals are round. They are 4-5 mm long. The occur in dense clusters with many flowers. The fruit are shiny and red. They are 8-10 mm across. They occur in many fruited round clusters. The fruit are bitter.
Notes
There are about 75 Sorbus species.
Names & Synonyms
References (8)
- Bull. Herb. Boissier ser. 2, 6:313. 1906 (As Sorbus decora)
- Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1356 (As Sorbus decora)
- Farrar, J.L., 1995, Trees of the Northern United States and Canada. Iowa State University press/Ames p 222 (As Sorbus decora)
- Grandtner, M. M., 2008, World Dictionary of Trees. Wood and Forest Science Department. Laval University, Quebec, Qc Canada. (Internet database http://www.wdt.qc.ca) (As Sorbus decora)
- http://en.hortipedia.com
- Jackes, D. A., 2007, Edible Forest Gardens (As Sorbus decora)
- Little, E.L., 1980, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees. Alfred A. Knopf. p 512 (As Sorbus decora)
- Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/(As Sorbus decora)
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