Sorbus americana (Mountain ash)

Sorbus americana Marshall

Sorbus americana Marsh.

Pyrus americana (Marsh.) DC.

Pyrus microcarpa (Pursh) Spreng.

Pyrus americana (Marshall) DC.

Mountain ash, American mountain ash

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Rosales	Rose family and eight others
Family	Rosaceae	Includes apples, apricots, plums, cherries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, almonds, roses, meadowsweets, photinias, firethorns, rowans, and hawthorns; many others
Genus	Sorbus	Ancient Latin name for this genus
Species	americana	“Of of from America”

About plant names...

The American mountain-ash is a native of eastern North America. American mountain-ash is so named because it is often found in mountain locations—all these photos are from the mountains. They are also quite popular as landscape trees.

Plants: Trees reach 10-30' (3-9.1 m) in height and trunks are about 4-10" (10-25 cm) in diameter. Bark is light gray and smooth.

Leaves: Leaves occur in groups 13-17" (33-43 cm) long. Individual leaflets in each group are about 2-3" (5-7.6 cm) long and ⅝-1" (1.6-2.5 cm) wide.

Flowers: Tiny white flowers, each ⅛" (3.2 mm) around, occur in large groups.

Fruits: Flowers become thick clusters of bright orange-red berries, ⅛-¼" (3.2-6.3 mm) around.

Edibility: Raw mountain ash berries aren’t good for you, but they can be cooked into a beautiful jelly that is traditionally served with lamb, venison, or pork. The recipe is described in Backyard Foraging.

Online References:

Sorbus americana on

Sorbus americana on www.carolinanature.com

Sorbus americana on CirrusImage.com

Sorbus americana on Wikipedia

Sorbus americana at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Sorbus americana at the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

Sorbus americana on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Sorbus americana on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

References:

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Alfred A. Knopf, 2009, p. 290

Zachos, Ellen, Backyard Foraging: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn't Know You Could Eat, Storey Publishing, 2013, p. 104, 213

8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett
≈ 15 × 10" (37 × 25 cm)

8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 16 cm)

6/10/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine
≈ 26 × 20" (65 × 49 cm)

10/6/2011 · Pack Monadnock, 2200', Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 14 × 21" (34 × 52 cm)

10/5/2014 · Mt. Killington, Killington, Vermont
≈ 31 × 21" (79 × 52 cm)

8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett
≈ 24 × 16" (59 × 39 cm)

I was baffled at first by these strange red branchlets. · 10/5/2014 · Mt. Killington, Killington, Vermont
≈ 4 × 2½' (1.3 × 0.8 m)

9/28/2013 · Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 7 × 4½" (16 × 11 cm)

10/6/2011 · Pack Monadnock, 2200', Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 15 × 10" (39 × 26 cm)

8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 4" (16 × 11 cm)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 6 × 9" (16 × 23 cm)

Sorbus americana description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 24 × 16" (62 × 41 cm)

8/25/2004 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 16 cm)

8/4/2006 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe, Vermont ID is uncertain

Young leaves are shiny. · 9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 9" (21 × 23 cm)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 16 cm)

8/25/2017 · Pack Monadnock, near summit, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 19 × 14" (48 × 34 cm)

9/7/2013 · Beech Hill, Dublin, New Hampshire

10/6/2011 · Pack Monadnock, 2200', Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 16 × 24" (41 × 62 cm)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 29 × 24" (72 × 60 cm)

Unripe berries. · 8/8/2015 · Mt. Wachusett
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

9/28/2013 · Cadillac Mountain, Acadia Naitonal Park, Bar Harbor, Maine
≈ 4½ × 7" (11 × 16 cm)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine

Range:

About this map...