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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Sorbus decora (Northern mountain ash)
Brundage, Stephanie

Sorbus decora

Sorbus decora (Sarg.) C.K. Schneid.

Northern Mountain Ash, Northern Mountain-ash, Showy Mountain-ash

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Synonym(s): Pyrus americana var. decora, Pyrus decora

USDA Symbol: sode3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), GL (N), SPM (N)

A 25-50 ft. tree with a narrow crown and ascending branching. Branches low to the ground. Foliage is pinnately-compound with a blue-green, summer hue. Autumn color is yellow-orange to reddish-purple. Terminal clusters of white blossoms are followed by heavily drooping clusters of glossy, red or orange berries.

 

From the Image Gallery

8 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Fruit Type: Pome
Size Notes: Up to about 50 feet tall.
Autumn Foliage: yes
Fruit: Red

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May , Jun

Distribution

USA: CT , IA , IL , IN , MA , ME , MI , MN , NH , NY , OH , PA , VT , WI
Canada: MB , NB , NL , NS , ON , PE , QC
Native Distribution: Lab. to n. Ont. & s.e. Man., s. to n.w. MA, NY, n. OH, WI & MN
Native Habitat: Wet to mesic woods; cool, moist slopes; lake shores

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Any poor- to well-drained, wet to mesic soil.
Conditions Comments: Fire blight and borers are serious problems. This is also a very weak-wooded tree. It is difficult to find reliable sources of native species of mountain ash.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: An intermediate source of food for songbirds, waterfowl and small mammals.x
Warning: Seeds are toxic and can be fatal to children if eaten. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.
Attracts: Birds

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FAC UPL FACU
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Web Reference

Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sorbus decora in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sorbus decora in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sorbus decora

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-09-26
Research By: TWC Staff

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