Unfortunately, the whitebeam does not have a good reputation. Although it attracts attention in the garden with its bright orange fruits, many gardeners avoid it due to its toxicity. But is the whitebeam actually poisonous? Birds don't seem to be affected by the consumption. In this profile you will find all the answers to these and other exciting questions in a nutshell.
The whitebeam is not only a real eye-catcher in spring
General
- Latin name: Sorbus
- Synonyms: rowan, rowan, oxelberry, currant
- Family: Rose family (Rosaceae)
- botanical classification: pome fruit family (Pyrinae)
- Tree species: Deciduous, deciduous
- Number of species: about 100
- maximum age: up to 200 years
- Usage: Park tree, street tree, garden tree, wood for feeding birds
- Frost hardy?: down to -20°C
- Occurs as a tree or shrub
- numerous breeds and hybrids available
- Worth knowing: Eisbeere was tree of the year 2011
origin and occurrence
- Origin: Northern Europe
- indigenous
- Distribution: throughout the northern hemisphere (temperate climate)
location claims
- sunny to semi-shady
- also thrive in extreme places
soil claims
- loamy
- sandy
- calcareous
- nutritious
- humorous
- pH value: neutral to alkaline
habit
- maximum growth height: up to 20-25 meters
- shallow roots
- multi-stemmed
- sweeping crown
leaves
- Length: 8-12cm
- Color green
- Autumn colour: dark brown or reddish yellow (depending on the species)
- Underside slightly felty
- Arrangement: alternate
- simple or pinnate
- Leaf shape: ovate
- Leaf margin: serrated or lobed (depending on the species)
- Leaf veins clearly visible
blossom
- hermaphrodite
- monoecious
- Flowering period: May and June
- Flower color: white
- Flower shape: umbels
- Pollination: Cross-pollination by animals
fruit
- apple fruits
- Toxic?: contain parasorbic acid, not suitable for raw consumption, toxins disappear when heated, therefore suitable for jam or jelly
- Size: about 1 cm
- Colour: bright reddish orange, rarely white, yellow or pink
- each fruit contains one or two seeds
- Fruit ripening: September to October
- Use: for the production of schnapps, cider or jam
branches and twigs
- felty hairs when young
- Color gray
- Buds: ovoid, thick, shiny reddish-brown, sticky
- scaly
bark
- first smooth, cracked with age
- Color gray
pests
predators
- voles
- Wild
- The larvae of the vine weevil
- Birds feed on the fruit
mushrooms
- Burnt Smoke Porling
- Sparse squab
- Oyster Mushroom
- sulfur proling
- oak firesponge
- Bulgy lacquer polypore
- cinnabar sponge
- rattle sponge
- giant polypore
- Shaggy Schillerspore