Sorbus gracilis — Edible Plant | Edible Plant Database

Summary

A deciduous shrub growing to 2 m tall, hardy to UK zone 6. Flowers appear in May and are hermaphrodite, insect-pollinated. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage, and can grow in very acid conditions. Adapts to mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist soil, and withstands strong winds but not coastal exposure.

Description

A deciduous shrub growing to 2 m tall, hardy to UK zone 6. Flowers appear in May and are hermaphrodite, insect-pollinated. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, or heavy clay soils with good drainage, and can grow in very acid conditions. Adapts to mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun, prefers moist soil, and withstands strong winds but not coastal exposure.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and grows up to 1cm across.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Asia, Canada, Japan, North America,

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Where seed is plentiful, it can be sown in an outdoor seedbed. Stored seed benefits from 2 weeks of warm stratification followed by 14–16 weeks of cold stratification, so sow as early in the year as possible. Prick out seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle. Top-growth is very slow in the first year or two as the plant focuses on root development. Keep seedlings in pots in a cold frame through their first winter, then plant out into permanent positions in late spring.