Wild Service-tree - Sorbus torminalis

Description

Tree to 25 metres but often less. Leaves with three or four pairs of triangular lobes, green on both surfaces but hairy beneath when young. Flowers 10 to 15 mm with two styles, white. The fruit is a brown berry which is finely dotted.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Tree to 25 metres but often less. Distinctive leaves with three or four pairs of triangular lobes, green on both surfaces but hairy beneath when young. Flowers 10 to 15 mm with two styles, white. The fruit is a brown berry which is finely dotted.

When to see it

In flower during May and June.

Life History

Deciduous.

UK Status

Infrequent but widespread in England and Wales.

VC55 Status

Scarce as a native tree in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 5 of the 617 tetrads.

It is occasionally planted

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Wild Service-tree
Species group:
Trees, Shrubs & Climbers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
22
First record:
15/05/2015 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
05/09/2023 (Higgott, Mike)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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