Botanical name:                  Sorbus aria

Family:                                   Rosacea

Common Name:                   Whitebeam

Habitat and Distribution:

A British and European native of chalky, limy and sandy soils, often found in calcareous woods in association with ash, beech, field maple, hawthorn and wych elm.

A number of very similar species are found with limited distribution and are believed to be hybrids between S. aria and S. torminalis (Wild Service Tree) or the S. aucuparia (Rowan) and S. hibernica (Irish Whitebeam) found in cancerous woods in Ireland. Other varieties are found in South West England and South Wales and in Ireland.

Description:

A deciduous tree, related to the Rowan, with a small rounded crown growing to a height of 15m (50ft).

Alternate oval finely toothed leaves, shiny dark green above, with white dense hairs underneath, 8cm (3in) in length on stalks 7-20mm (0.25 - 0.8in) long, turning golden in autumn.

Creamy white, 5-petalled, sweet-scented flowers (8 mm across) arranged in dense, branched, flat-topped clusters (5-7.5 cm across) appear in May - June. The flowers mature to small berry like fruits (about 13 mm across.) green at first, ripening to a bright orange-red in September – October, which contain black seeds similar to Apple pips.

Whitebeam has a grey, shallowly fissured bark and is mainly planted in decorative planting schemes.

Tends to be short lived with a lifespan of about 80years,

Location within the arboretum:

The tree is located about 50 m to the west of the deer gate which gives access to the old gate entrance area.

Furniture Makers Trees at The Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard

Timber:

Timber from whitebeam is a brown, quite hard wood of good quality

Uses:

The timber has been used for tool handle, turnery, carving, country furniture, veneers and marquetry. Also in the past it had also been used for cogs in machinery.

The berries can be made into jam and wine but are a favourite of birds, though less palatable than Rowan berries.

Whitebeams are sometimes used as larval food plants by some Lepidoptera species including the Short-cloaked Moth.

 

 

Bare tree in late February

Bark

Leaf bud late February

Leaf - upper surface

Leaf - lower surface

A second flush of flowers in October 2005

Cluster of flowers

Flowers fading and the fruit forming

Berries

Close up of the berries