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Japanese Mountain-Ash – Sorbus commixta Japanese Mountain ash is native to the Far eastern Russian Federation, Japan and Korea. Fruit Trees | Tree Encyclopedia | Tree Index |
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Japanese mountain-ash is a medium sized (height 20-30 feet, width 20-30 feet) deciduous tree, with a rounded crown and moderate growth rate. It grows best on moist, well-drained soil, in full sun. Its compound leaves have between 11-15 opposite, serrate leaflets change to a deep purple or red in autumn. White flowers appear in early summer on 4-6" corymb; orange to red fruit appears in autumn. This ornamental tree is hardy in USDA zones 5-7 [1]. Fruit provides palatable browse for many animals and birds, but is not suitable for human consumption, except, perhaps for various folk remedies; the plant is not toxic [1,5]. Recent scientific studies indicate methanol extract of Sorbus commixta cortex prevents vascular inflammation in rats with a high fructose-induced metabolic syndrome [6]. |
Japanese mountain ash and related species (most often the European Mountain ash, Sorbus aucuparia) are sometimes referred to in folklore as "Rowan" trees, but this use has almost disappeared from the modern lexicon. The rowans were thought by the Celts (and probably back to the Neolithic cultures) of The British Isles to have magical properties.
"Mountain ash, 1804, from rowan-tree, rountree (1548), northern English and Scottish, from a Scandinavian source (cf. O.N. reynir, Swed. Ronn "the rowan"), ultimately from the root of red, in reference to the berries. The rowan "was the tree most often credited with protective magical powers against all effects of witchcraft, not merely in Celtic areas but throughout Britain." — Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore |
American Mountain-ash was used extensively by Native Americans for various purposes [5]:
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Tree Encyclopedia / North American Insects & Spiders is dedicated to providing scientific and educational resources for our users through use of large images and macro photographs of flora and fauna. |
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Family Rosaceae – Rose Family; Fruit Trees Rosaceae is a large family of plants with about 3,000 species in ~100 genera. Crabapple and other fruit trees provide some of our most outstanding flowering ornamentals. Tree Encyclopedia | Tree Index | Fruit Tree Index |