Sorbus sitchensis Seeds | Sitka Mountain Ash
LATIN NAME: Sorbus sitchensis
COMMON NAME: Sitka Mountain Ash
Plant Profile
Sorbus sitchensis, better known as Sitka Mountain Ash, is a deciduous tree in the rose family. It likes sun or light shade, and moist, well-drained soil. Add these qualities together and you have a species well worth a place in the garden.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the rose family, Sorbus sitchensis is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Red berry clusters of the Sitka mountain ash give it a recognised place in research on cold-climate rowan trees of rose family, and sitchensis species appears in studies of bird garden plants and berry chemistry. Species like this one find a second career as research material, especially in propagation and breeding work.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Sitka Mountain Ash has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In cool garden, the Sitka mountain ash corals autumn garden with red berries. Berries feed birds through cold months, white flower clusters add early-summer interest, and tree makes fine specimen for small plot. It grows well in moist, well-drained, sunny or lightly shaded ground. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
Rowan berries, cooked into jellies, are a tart vitamin-C tradition of northern Europe, and the trees are superb for birds and autumn color.
Growing from Seed
Sitka Mountain Ash grows readily from seed. Use a fine, free-draining seed compost, scatter the seed evenly, cover it lightly and hold it just moist in good light. A cool, moist period before sowing helps the seeds wake evenly — a few weeks in damp medium in the refrigerator is the usual approach. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Its long record of traditional use, described above, gives the plant a story beyond ornament. Given the right start, Sitka Mountain Ash is a long-term garden companion. Its wants are few — a sunny spot, soil that drains, and time to settle in.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Sitka Mountain Ash often pair it with these related subjects: