Kingdom Plantae Family Rosaceae Subgenus Sorbus Higher classification Mountain-ash | Order Rosales Genus Sorbus Scientific name Sorbus decora Rank Species | |
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Similar Mountain‑ash, Sorbus americana, Sorbus × hybrida, Bastard service‑tree, Sorbus mougeotii | ||
Sorbus decora, commonly known as the northern mountain ash, showy mountain-ash or "dogberry" is a deciduous shrub or very small tree native to northeastern North America. It occurs throughout the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, the New England-Acadian forest region, and the eastern Canadian boreal forests.
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Description
Showy mountain-ash grows 4–10 metres (13–33 ft) tall. Its leaves are odd-pinnately compound, with 11–17 leaflets. Each leaflet is 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 1–2.5 cm (3⁄8–1 in) wide. All parts are hairless to slightly hairy. Flowers are borne in 125- to more than 400-flowered panicles 6–25 cm (2 1⁄4–9 3⁄4 in) across. Each flower is 5–7.5 cm (2–3 in) across and has five white petals 2.5–3.5 mm (3⁄32–1⁄8 in) long, 14–20 stamens, and carpels with 3–4 styles. The fruits (pomes) are bright red to orange-red and 4–7 mm (5⁄32–9⁄32 in) across.
Similar species
Showy mountain-ash is very similar to the closely related American mountain-ash. Like the American mountain-ash (Sorbus americana), the showy mountain-ash has pinnately compound leaves and often large clusters of flowers and fruits. Showy mountain-ash can be distinguished its shiny, sticky buds, and its slightly larger flowers and fruit. It is said to bloom a week earlier.
Uses
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.
