Sorbus Torminalis - Wild Service Tree

General Information Common Name  Wild Service Tree Scientific Name  Sorbus Torminalis Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  10 - 15 m (33-50 ft) Spread  6 -8 m (20 - 30 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  Europe, USA

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Sorbus L. – Mountain Ash Species  S. Torminalis

Sorbus Torminalis - Wild Service Tree

Sorbus Torminalis common name is Wild Service Tree. It is native to Europe. It is usually attaining between 10-15 m (33-50 feet) in height. It is very local and one seldom finds more than a few trees growing in the same locality. It is curious because of its unusually shaped leaves, its flowers and fruits which resemble those of Rowan, and its bark which has the appearance of that of Hawthorn.

The winter buds are large, oval (not pointed) and greenish with brown edges to the scales. The young shoots soon become smooth and dark brown. The leaves are somewhat like Norway maple but smaller, not pointed and are coarsely toothed, borne alternately on the shoots and not palmately veined. The lower pair of lobes is cut much more deeply than the others. The leaves are rather lustrous deep green on top, pale green or yellowish underneath. They turn yellow and crimson in autumn.

The flat-topped in florescence, which opens in June, is comprised of small creamy-white bi-sexual flowers which are followed by green oval berries that later turn brown and drab, and become wrinkled and marked with numerous lenticels. 

The bark is grey to black, smooth at first, later dividing into small thin scales which are shed. Suckers are produced. The wood is tough and has whitish sapwood and red-brown heartwood.

It is uncertain to what extent this interesting and uncommon tree justifies its old name as a cure for colic (tormina); its berries are acid to the taste.

Sorbus Torminalis - Wild Service Tree in Autumn

Young plant of  Wild Service Tree

 Wild Service Tree Leaves

Wild Service Tree Leaves in Autumn

Leaves of Sorbus Torminalis 

Wild Service Tree Flowers

Flowers of Sorbus Torminalis 

Fruits of  Wild Service Tree

Wild Service Tree Fruits 

Wild Service Tree Bark

Bark of Sorbus Torminalis

Sorbus Torminalis in Autumn

Sorbus Torminalis - Wild Service Tree

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

General Information Common Name  Whitebeam Scientific Name  Sorbus aria Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  10 - 25 m (33-82 ft) Spread  6 -8 m (20 - 30 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  Europe, USA

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Sorbus L. – Mountain Ash Species  S. aria

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

Sorbus aria common name is Whitebeam. It is a rather small tree usually found on the fringes of woodlands, or in untended hedgerows or on crags. It is particularly at home on chalk and limestone soils and is fairly common on the Cotswold’s, the North Downs and the Chiltern Hills. It is probably best known for the conspicuous white underside of its leaves.

The young shoots soon become smooth and turn through reddish-brown to shiny and deep brown and eventually grey, marked by numerous small, pale-colored, wart-like lenticels. The twigs branch at an acute angle. The large greenish ovoid winter buds are pointed, with usually some brown or purple on the scales. The tree unfolds its leaves in pleasing erect cup-shaped groups, appearing glistening white due to a dense coating of white hairs on the exposed lower surfaces. When expanded, the leaves are oval, generally gently curved at both base and apex, and have many pairs of straight veins. The margin is toothed and the upper surface, unlike the lower, is rather dull green and almost hairless. The faded pale grey leaves of autumn strew the floor below the tree, creating almost a mystic purplish-grey sheen.

The flat-topped inflorescence, which opens in May, has showy white bi-sexual flowers almost half an inch across, gathered into loose clusters. They are succeeded by almost round, dark green, hairy ‘bloomed’ fruits, which change to colors varying from orange-red to deep scarlet (usually the latter), the surface being marked by lenticels.

The bark is greenish-grey, and smooth except in old trees, when it becomes fissured and salty-grey. The wood is yellowish-white, finely grained. fairly hard, heavy and strong, but is of little economic importance. The word ‘beam’ is the Saxon equivalent for tree.

An intermediate race, the Swedish Whitebeam, S. intermedia, has lobed leaves with toothed edges; it is common in north-east Scotland.

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

Sorbus aria Young Plant

Whitebeam Leaves

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam - White back side of leaves

Sorbus aria Leaves

Leaves of Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam Bark

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam Flowers

Flowers of Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

Fruits of Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam Full Tree

Sorbus aria – Whitebeam

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - (Mountain Ash)

General Information Common Name  Rowan (Mountain Ash) Scientific Name  Sorbus aucuparia Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  5-15 m (18-50 ft) Spread  3 -8 m (10 - 30 ft) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green, Flower Color  White Type  Tree Native  Europe, USA

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass  Rosidae Order  Rosales Family  Rosaceae – Rose family Genus  Sorbus L. – Mountain Ash Species  S. aucuparia

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia common name is Rowan also known as Mountain Ash. It is one of European most attractive small trees, usually seen as a solitary specimen throughout woodlands or scattered in rocky, mountainous regions. It is best known for its graceful slender outline, attractive feathery leaves and gay bunches of white flowers in May, followed by a brilliant show of bright scarlet berries in September.

The shoots are downy at first but become smooth and greyish-brown. The spur shoots are stout and numerous, carrying dark brown buds, set alternately and covered with whitish down. The leaves are arranged alternately, compound-pinnate, with five to seven pairs of oval leaflets and a terminal leaflet, each with a toothed margin. Their upper surface is deep green; the lower is grey-green, they turn bright shades of red and carmine in autumn.

The flat-topped inflorescence, a compound cyme, is comprised of numerous small creamy-white bi-sexual flowers, which open in late May. These are followed in July by green berries which during August and September turn orange and then bright scarlet. They are usually round (occasionally somewhat more barrel-shaped), and contain one or two small brown seeds. The berries have high vitamin C content; though sour, they can be made into a tasty jelly.

The bark is smooth and grey, encircled by rings of lenticels. The tree is usually erect, but some older trees develop spreading crowns. The sapwood is yellow and heartwood purplish-brown, hard and smooth, but is rarely sufficiently large to be utilized. 

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash Full Bloom

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia Young Plant

Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia Log

Bark of Sorbus aucuparia

 Leaves of  Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash Leaves

Flowers of Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash Flowers

Sorbus aucuparia Flowers 

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash Flowers

 Flowers of  Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash Fruits

Fruits of Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia Fruits

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash

Sorbus aucuparia - Rowan - Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash

Mountain Ash

Hyacinthoides hispanica - Spanish Bluebell

General Information Common Name  Spanish Bluebell Scientific Name  Hyacinthoides hispanica Sun Tolerance  Full Sun Height  25-50 cm (9-18 incs) Spread  25-50 cm (9-18 incs) Growth Rate  Fast Bloom Time  Spring Color  Green Flower Color  Blue Type  Herbs Native   Europe

Classification Kingdom  Plantae – Plants Subkingdom  Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division  Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class  Liliopsida – Monocotyledons Subclass  Liliidae Order  Liliales Family  Liliaceae – Lily family Genus  Hyacinthoides Medik. – hyacinthoides Species  H. hispanica

Hyacinthoides hispanica - Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica common name is Spanish Bluebell. It is native to Europe.  This is a flowering ornament plant. It is grows 25-50 cm (9-18 incs) in height. It is distinguished from the common bluebell by its paler. It has larger blue flowers, more erect flower stem (raceme),

broader leaves, blue anthers (where the common bluebell has creamy-white ones) and little or no scent compared to the strong fragrant scent of the northern species. It blooms in late spring.

The Spanish bluebell was introduced in the United Kingdom, where it has become an invasive species. The two species hybridise freely, and the resulting hybrid Hyacinthoides × massartiana and the Spanish bluebell both produce highly fertile seed and can invade areas of the native common bluebell. This has caused the common bluebell to be viewed as a threatened species.

The Spanish bluebell is also cultivated as a garden plant, and several named cultivars exist with flowers in various shades of white, pink and blue. It is also plant in the Park.

Hyacinthoides hispanica- Spanish Bluebell in the Park

Hyacinthoides hispanica- Spanish Bluebell Young Plant

Spanish Bluebell Leaves

Hyacinthoides hispanica- Spanish Bluebell Flowers

Flowers of Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica Flowers

Hyacinthoides hispanica- Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica- Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica- Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica - Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica - Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica - Spanish Bluebell

Hyacinthoides hispanica - Spanish Bluebell