Sorbus torminalis
| Sorbus torminalis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 66' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Sorbus torminalis (common name: wild service tree)
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 so long as they are not too poor or acid, in an open sunny position[5][4]. Prefers clay soils[6][4]. Tolerates moderate shade[7], but does not fruit so well in such a position[K].
Grows best in the eastern half of Britain[8].
Plants are susceptible to fireblight[7].
Plants respond well to coppicing[9].
When found in a truly wild situation this species is considered to be an indication of primary woodland[10].
Range: Europe, from Britain and Denmark south and east to N. Africa, the Caucasus and W. Asia.
Habitat: Woods, usually on clay[9], sometimes on limestone[11].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[12][13][4][14][15][16]. The taste is best after a frost because it turns sweeter. The fruit can also be bletted if it is going to be eaten raw[6][16]. This involves storing the fruit in a cool dry place until it is almost but not quite going rotten. At this stage the fruit has a delicious taste, somewhat like a luscious tropical fruit. Rich in vitamin C. The fruit is up to 1.5cm across[10] and is borne in bunches which makes it easier to harvest[K].
Usage: Wood - heavy, fine grained, polishes well. Used for turning, wood carving[14][15].
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
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
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: Crataegus torminalis. Pyrus torminalis.
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 4.2 4.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 3. 1981 - 1982. Royal Horticultural Society, 1981.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Beckett, Kenneth and Gillian Beckett. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold, 1979.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Sowerby, John. The Useful Plants of Great Britain. 1862.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.