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Swedish Whitebeam - Sorbus intermedia
(Ehrh.) Pers.
Rosaceae – Rose family.
Swedish whitebeam leaves resemble common alder, but otherwise the
trees are unrelated and dissimilar. S. intermedia has creamy
white small flowers borne in tight clusters in April, giving rise to
small red fruit (pomes). It may grow to be 50 feet in height, but is
normally small, of limited familiarity and infrequently planted as an
ornamental.
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Morton Arboretum accession 187-83-1
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Growth Characteristics: Height:
25’-35’ / Width: 30’
Form/Habit: round
Growth Rate: medium
Ornamental Characteristics: Flower:
showy, white clusters, spring
Fruit: showy, orange-red clusters,
berry-like, late summer/early fall
Foliage: green on upper surface with a
gray-white pubescence on undersides in
summer, color varies from pale green to
golden brown to orange-reddish in fall
Bark: not ornamentally important,
gray-brown, often smooth, becoming
slightly rough with age.
(1)
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Mougeot Whitebeam Leaflet, S.
Mougeotii |
Swedish Whitebeam Leaflet, S.
intermedia |
| The Swedish whitebeam is a
member of the intermedia
aggregate, a group within the genus
Sorbus in which the leaflets
have distinct lobes. The lowest
veins of the leaf end in a
pronounced lobe which itself can
have smaller teeth on it and the
lobe cuts into the leaf up to half
way along the vein to the mid rib.
S. intermedia has about 8
veins (7 to 9) the lowest six of
which point to these lobes. Note:
the Mougeot leaflets are missing
this key feature. |
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- Native:
- EUROPE
Northern Europe:
Denmark; Finland;
Ireland; Norway;
Sweden; United Kingdom
Middle Europe:
Austria; Czechoslovakia;
Germany; Hungary;
Poland; Switzerland
East Europe:
Estonia; Latvia;
Lithuania; Russian Federation
- Kaliningrad; Ukraine
Southeastern Europe:
Bulgaria; Italy;
Romania; Yugoslavia
Southwestern Europe:
France; Spain
(2)
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Synonyms:
- Sorbus scandica (L.) Fr.
- Sorbus suecica (L.) Krok
& Almq.
- Pyrus intermedia Ehrh
(3)
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Common names:
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Trees provide cover: Birds and small animals need
concealed places for nesting and hiding from predators. The
presence of wildlife can make your backyard or woodlot a
special place for your family and children. As urban sprawl
displaces many birds and animals from their natural habitat,
it becomes even more important for home and landowners to
provide green space and mini-sanctuaries for birds and other
wildlife. Trees provide food: Having a wide variety
of trees that provide seeds, nuts and fruit for wildlife to
eat is one way to increase your success in attracting
wildlife. although artificial bird feeders can supplement
naturally occurring foods, they can attract unwanted pests
such as pigeons, Canada geese, squirrels, and even rats.
Trees also provide food by attracting insects and providing
cover for their activities; mating, egg-laying. Insects form
a huge portion of the warm-weather food supply for many
species of songbirds. Trees that provide fall and winter
foods are especially important in helping wildlife survive
the winter, and to provide forage and cover for
early-arriving spring migrants that may get caught in
late-season bad weather. Whatever the food sources you
provide may be, birds and wildlife also need dependable
source of water; create a small pool or birdbath in a
protected place.
Swedish Whitebeam Bark
References:
1.
Cornell University Urban Horticulture Institute
(.pdf)
2.
USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program.
Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN)
[Online Database].
National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville,
Maryland.
3.
Royal Botanic Garden - Edinburgh
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