x Sorbaronia hybrid

Hybrid

Aronia x mountain ash

Rosaceae

gbif· cc-by-nc

President and Fellows of Harvard College

gbif· cc-by-nc

TALL - Tallinn Botanic Garden; Tallinn Botanic Garden

gbif· cc-by-nc

TALL - Tallinn Botanic Garden; Tallinn Botanic Garden

Description

x Sorbaronia hybrid is a deciduous Tree growing to 3 m (9ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. The flowers are pollinated by Insects. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Edible Uses

Edible Fruit. Fruit - cooked. A good flavour but very astringent. The fruit should be fully ripe before being eaten and is best after a frost or two. It makes a good jelly when sugar is added and is also dried and used for making pemmican. The fruit is rich in pectin and can be added to fruits that are low in this substance when making jams etc. Pectin is also said to protect the body against radiation. The fruit is upto 12mm in diameter depending on the hybrid.

Distribution

Hybrid

Where It Grows

Coming Soon

Cultivation

A group of some half a dozen hybrids between Aronia and Sorbus – all shrubs or small trees. Where the whitebeam is the Sorbus parent the leaves are simple (× S. alpina and × S. dippelii). The other cultivated hybrids have Sorbus aucuparia or S. americana as the other parent, and the leaves are partly pinnate. Species include × Sorbaronia alpina A deciduous shrub with red fruits, × Sorbaronia dippelii a bushy-headed shrub with fruits top-shaped or roundish, 9mm 1/3 in. long, blue-black in color, × Sorbaronia hybrida a laxly branched shrub or small tree with dark purple fruit, globular or broad-ellipsoid, about 12mm 3/8 in. wide. (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/x-sorbaronia/). Prefers a moist peaty soil in full sun or partial shade. Succeeds in most soils but dislikes shallow chalk. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. A clumping plant, forming a colony from shoots away from the crown but with a limited spread. The cultivar Ivan’s Beauty is a small spreading tree 2.5m 8ft tall with small, dark purple fruit, about 12mm 1/2inch in diameter with an intense tart-sweet flavour. Excellent for jams, wine, jelly or sauces. Very high in vitamin C. Can be stored under refrigeration until spring. It has striking, large glossary dark-green leaves and large clusters of pinkish flowers. Ideal for edible landscaping.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in pots outdoors or in a cold frame. Pre-soak stored seed overnight and then cold stratify for 3 months at 2°c. The seed germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Division of suckers in the dormant season. Very easy, they can be planted straight out into their permanent positions. Layering.