September: Sorbus for Late Summer

Within the Sorbus genus there is a tree to suit most gardens, many have late summer berries that look good into the autumn and sometimes into winter depending on the season and the birds. All Sorbus like an open position in sun or part shade and any reasonable soil that is not excessively dry or wet.

Sorbus aucuparia, also known as Mountain Ash or Rowan, is one of our native trees and can vary greatly, in appearance and in flowering and fruiting ability. Over the years particular forms have been selected by nurseries, which then propagate them by grafting. S. 'Sheerwater Seedling' is one of these, picked out for its vigorous growth, upright habit, good-sized leaves and reliable and plentiful red berries. This is an upright form and is useful when height is required but there is less sideways space, it has a height after 20 years of around 20 feet and a spread of only 7 feet. Another cultivar is S. ‘Asplenifolia’ which has attractive deeply cut leaves.

If you want yellow berries then try Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ which as green pinnate leaves that appear in spring and turn glorious shades of orange, purple and red in autumn. Clusters of white flowers appear in spring and are followed in autumn by small yellow berries, which birds love. A small tree, similar to S. ‘Sheerwater Seedling’, but with a more spreading habit. For pink berries then Sorbus vilmorinii has fruit that ripen through shades of carmen and pink fading to white flushed with pink. This is either a large shrub or small tree but with a spreading habit. The leaves turn a good rich red colour in the autumn.

Sorbus aria or Whitebeam is not normally grown for it berries but rather the silver white spring foliage. The cultivar S. aria ‘Lutescens’ has a good conical habit with very attractive young leaves covered in creamy white hairs, giving a striking silver effect in the spring. In a good year it may have orange red berries in the autumn but is not as reliable as the Rowans for berries. Not a large tree, 20 feet after 10 years although eventually close to 40 feet in height.

For a rockery or small shrubbery there is Sorbus reducta, only getting to around 3 feet in height and spread but still with good autumn colour and rose pink berries in late summer.

CAF