Sorbus alnifolia
| Sorbus alnifolia | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 49' |
| Width: | 26' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Sorbus alnifolia (common name: korean mountain ash)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1][2]. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown in an outdoor seedbed[1][2]. Stored seed germinates better if given 2 weeks warm then 14 - 16 weeks cold stratification[3], so sow it as early in the year as possible. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Seedlings are very slow to put on top-growth for their first year or two[4], but they are busy building up a good root system. It is best to keep them in pots in a cold frame for their first winter and then plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring.
Cultivation: Succeeds in most reasonably good soils in an open sunny position[4]. Dislikes dry soils[5]. Tolerates light shade[5], though it fruits better in a sunny position[K].
Plants are susceptible to fireblight[5].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat: Slopes of shady mountain forests of stone pine and deciduous trees on stony and humus rich soils[6]. Slopes, gullies, mixed forests and shrubby thickets at elevations of 500 - 2400 metres[7].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6][8]. The fruit is about the size of a pea, up to 14mm long[7], and is produced in fairly large bunches making it easy to harvest[9]. The flavour is reasonably mild and somewhat mealy[K].
Usage: Wood - even grained. Used for rulers[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seeds probably contain hydrogen cyanide. This is the ingredient that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. Unless the seed is very bitter it should be perfectly safe in reasonable quantities. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown
Also Known As: Micromeles alnifolia.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ Gordon, A and D Rowe. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 1982.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.