Himalayan whitebeam
Sorbus vestita

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows 15 m tall. It is a broad cone shape. The bark is pale grey and peels in thick flakes. The leaves are narrowly oval and 20 cm long by 15 cm wide. There can be small lobes. There are sharp teeth along the edge. They have white hairs when young but become glossy green above and have dense white hairs underneath. There are up to 11 pairs of veins. The flowers are 2 cm across and white. They have 5 petals. The occur in flattened clusters 10 cm across. The fruit are round or pear shaped and 2 cm across. They are green and speckled with brown.

There are about 75 Sorbus species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is native to the Himalayas. It grows in mountain forest. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Himalayas, India, Nepal

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Mauli, Nephel

Synonyms

Pyrus vestita Wall.; Sorbus cuspidata; Sorbus lanata;