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Sorbus aucuparia

Sorbus aucuparia

Taxonomy

Kingdom
PLANTS
Family
Rosaceae, Malaceae
Genus
Sorbus
Species
aucuparia
Synonyms
Rowan

Habitat / Home / Areal

It occurs from the lowlands to the highlands, medium-sized tree, grows to a height of 15 m-15 m, slender cylindrical trunk 40 cm thick, pioneer tree

Botanical description

Habitus: it has a sparse, round, cylindrical to ovoid crown, the bark is smooth, reddish-brown, gray to gray-silver shiny, in old age it has a grooved, slightly furrowed bark, straight shoots are shortened and thickened

Leaf: the leaves are compound,  alternate, oddly pinnate, coarsely serrated all around,yellow-red color in autumn, 4-7 oblong and elliptical pairs of leaflets, the leaves are on the stalk, the edges are slightly serrate, the upper side is dark green, the leaf base is lighter and bald

Flower: blossoms from May to June, flowers are small yellowish white, monoecious and in the form of dense corymbs

Fruit: the berries are red and ripen at the end of the year

Growth conditions / Cultivation / Care

Semi-shade to light-loving tree, not demanding on nutrients, resistant to frost, the bark is flammable even when wet, the seeds are brown and shiny

Use / Function and landscape

  • an ornamental tree for urban tree stands, avenues
  • parks, gardens as solitaire
  • fruit cultivars in orchards or gardens as productive fruit trees.

Special use

  • Birds feed on the fruits, the alcoholic drink “jarabinka”
  • It is used in folk medicine, it is a source of vitamin C, they are called “oranges of the north”, when raw the fruits are inedible due to their hydrogen cyanide content

Reproduction

it is propagated by grafting or by grafting onto a rootstock

  • before sowing, the seeds must be kept cold for about 3 months at a temperature just above 0°C.
  • spread by birds and animals

Varieties

S.a. var. moravica, S.a. var. dulcis Karaetzi, “Pendula”

Diseases and pests

Grey mold – Botryotinia fuckeliana