Sorbus intermedia – Swedish whitebeam

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Rosaceae

Sorbus intermedia – Swedish whitebeam

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Medium-sized tree that starts off with a narrow pyramidal crown, later growing to broad ovoid. Old specimens eventually develop a round crown. It is a slow grower with an extended main trunk and dense branches. The blackish-grey trunk remains smooth for a long time but is later grooved. Young twigs are greyish-brown to olive-brown, hairy at first but very quickly become bare. The leaves are lobed with 5 to 9 lobes on each side. On the upper side they are dark green and slightly glossy while the underside is white and felt-like: in the autumn they turn yellow to orange-yellow. Sometimes the autumn coloration fails to appear. The creamy white flowers give off a scent that is typical of the tree. After flowering the tree produces orange-red ovoid to round fruits in small umbels. They remain on the tree until October. S. intermedia is a wind-resistant tree that stands up well to dry conditions. Can be used in coastal regions. Resistant to fire blight.
Availability
Clear stem (1)
Specifications
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Height
10 - 12 (15) m
Width
4-6m
Crown
broad ovoid to rounded, dark, dense crown
Bark and branches
bark smooth, blackish-grey, later grooved
Leaf
oval to ovoid, lobed, dark green, 6 - 10 cm
Autumn colour
yellow, orange
Flowers
cream♂ white, in umbels of approx. 11 cm Ø, May, fragrant flowers
Fruits
ovoid to round, orange-red, fruits up to 1.2 cm Ø
Spines/thorns
None
Toxicity
usually not toxic to people, (large) pets and livestock
Soil type
makes few demands, grows best on calcareous soils
Soil moisture
suitable for dry soil
Paving
tolerates paving
Winter hardiness zone
5a (-28,8 to -26,1 °C)
Wind resistance
good
Other resistances
resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6), can withstand wind
Fauna tree
valuable for bees (honey plant), provides food for birds
Application
avenues and broad streets, tree containers, roof gardens, coastal areas
Shape
clearstem tree, multi-stem treem
Origin
Southern Scandinavia
Clear stem tree Multi-stem tree calcareous soil loamy soil nutrient-poor soil sandy soil tolerates paving resistant to frost (WH 1 - 6) suitable for dry soil can withstand wind broad ovoid 2nd size, between 6 and 12 metres dense crown green white May early sprout average growing Conspicuous bloom Attractive autumn colour valuable for bees (honey plant) provides food for birds non-toxic (usually) Ornamental fruit Fragrant flowers
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Frequently asked questions
Sorbus intermedia

Sorbus intermedia can eventually reach a height of 10 - 12 (15) m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

Sorbus intermedia is average growing and can eventually reach a height of 10 - 12 (15) m, depending on the site and climate conditions.

The leaves of Sorbus intermedia turn yellow, orange in autumn.

The right time to plant Sorbus intermedia is during the dormancy period. In Western Europe, Sorbus intermedia with root balls can generally be planted from mid-November to late April, although this depends strongly on the climatic conditions and the species of tree.

Sorbus intermedia blooms in may.
General