Stop 5 on trail 2 Mature whitebeam
 |
Creamy white flowers in May |
 |
Berries ripen to bright scarlet to be eaten by birds |
Sorbus aria
The picture shows the whitebeam tree which is directly in front of the office window. A cherry blossom is planted at the other side of the path.
The whitebeam is a popular tree for street planting because of its compact shape and decorative appearance. Its most striking feature is its foliage: the leaves are
covered on the underside with a thick white felt of hairs which remains even in the autumn, when the leaves have turned golden. Caught by a breeze the leaves appear silvery-white. Then in the autumn appears a colourful display of red berries. The wood of the whitebeam is used for tool handle, turnery, furniture, plywood. Edible fruit of the whitebeam can be made into jam and wine.
