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Home / Nature - Plants / Identifying Trees / Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis) / April/May - Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis)
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April/May - Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis)

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Young leaf is shiny on upper side and downy on lower side. The Wild Service Tree is a deciduous tree with dark green, coarsely toothed leaves with five or seven lobes. The undersides have small hairs when young, but smooth and shiny when older. The bark is smooth and greyish, but flaky, peeling away in squarish plates uncovering darker brown layers. In late spring the tree produces clusters of creamy white, five petalled flowers, similar to those of the Rowan tree but slightly larger (about 15 mm diameter). In September/ November it produces brown berries, that are edible and were once used as a cure for colic. It is not a common tree and often an indicator of ancient woodland. It grows to a height of around 26m and is long lived. It grows on clay and limestone soils, often in clearings as it prefers light but can stand shading. It is found with Rowan, Cherry, and Oak. It produces suckers. It is native to England. Picture taken Late April 2007 at Maulden Woods Bedfordshire.

Added:
21st Oct 2007 by Diane Earl

Subjects:
Biology, Science

Key Stages:
Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 4+

Keywords:
tree berry edible old medicine

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