Sorbus decora, commonly known as the northern mountain ash,
Description
Sorbus decora grows tall. Its leaves are
compound leaf, with 11–17 leaflets. Each leaflet is long and wide. All parts are hairless to slightly hairy. Flowers are borne in 125- to more than 400-flowered
across. Each flower is across and has five white
long, 14–20
, and
with 3–4 styles. The fruits (
) are bright red to orange-red and across.
Distribution and habitat
Sorbus decora occurs throughout the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, the New England-Acadian forest region, the eastern Canadian boreal forests and
Greenland. It cannot be found north of 62°15′N, which confines it the southern tip of Greenland, generally deeper up the western fjords, such as the
Qinngua Valley.
Similar species
Sorbus decora is very similar to the closely related American mountain-ash (
Sorbus americana). Like the American mountain-ash, the showy mountain-ash has odd-pinnately compound leaves and often large clusters of flowers and fruits. Showy mountain-ash can be distinguished by its shiny, sticky buds,
[Farrar, J.L. (1995). Trees in Canada. Markham, Ontario: Fitzhenry and Whitside/Canadian Forest Service.] 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
.
The fruits are an important source of food for wildlife, particularly birds in the winter and early spring.
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