Aronia x mountain ash
x Sorbaronia hybrid

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

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.

Height (m): 3

Where it is found

A cultivated plant.

Hybrid

Conservation Status: Not Listed.

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

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.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 2

The fruit is a source of pectin, a substance that is used to thicken jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.

How it is grown

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/). For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a standard with a non-suckering single trunk. Landscape Uses: Screen, Specimen. 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. Special Features: Attracts birds, Naturalizing, Wetlands plant, Attractive flowers or blooms. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 8 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1.) For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. A clumping plant, forming a colony from shoots away from the crown but with a limited spread. The root pattern is flat with shallow roots forming a plate near the soil surface. The root pattern is suckering with new plants from underground runners away from the plant. 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.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 3-8

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Sorbaronia hybrid

Synonyms

No synonyms are recorded for this name.