Mountain-ash, Korean
Sorbus alnifolia
Rosaceae - Rose
Description
Leaves: Shiny dark green and hairless above with yellow-orange fall color; pale green and slightly hairy below; simple; alternate; somewhat resembling Fagus (beech); 2" to 4" in length, somewhat egg-shaped, tapering to a point, rounded base, unequally toothed, 6-10 pairs of veins; petiole 1/2" to 3/4" in length; deciduous.
Twigs/buds: Twigs red-brown and shiny, with gray lenticels. Buds oblong; lateral buds almost as long as terminal; some scales with dark margins and pubescence.
Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect; white, 1/2" in diameter, in flat-topped corymbs containing 6 to 10 flowers; occur in May. Fruit a pome; mature fruit red-pink or orange-red; round to egg-shaped, 1/2" in diameter; ripening in fall (September to October); persisting after leaf senescence; maybe the most attractive fruit of the mountain-ash genus.
Bark: Gray-brown, marked with white or purple, smooth, attractive; lenticels visible when young.
Wood: Little information available.
General: Native to China, Korea and Japan. Small, pyramidal or oval tree, often growing up to 35' in height.Susceptible to fireblight and borer insects.
Landscape Use: A superior species that should be planted more often. Commonly cultivated. Simple leaves similar to alder and beech with nice fall color, while flowers and fruit are similar to European mountain-ash (S. aucuparia). Use as a specimen tree. Zones 3-7.
Cultivar: 'Redbird'.
Characteristics
General
Family | Rosaceae - Rose |
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Cultivar Availability | Yes |
Hardiness Zone | 3-7 |
Type | Broadleaf |
Utah Native | No |
Growth
Growth Rate | Medium |
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Mature Height | Medium |
Longevity | Medium |
Is Good Under Power Lines | No |
Crown Shapes | Oval |
Ornamental
Bark | No |
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Fall Color | Yes |
Flowers | Yes |
Foliage | No |
Fruit | Yes |
Tolerance
Shade | Low |
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Salt | Medium |
Drought | Low |
Poor Drainage | Low |
Alkalinity | Medium |
Transplanting | Medium |