Whitebeam trees

Whitebeams are part of the Sorbus group, closely related to the Rowans / Mountain Ash.

• Whitebeam

  Emiel

  

  Emiel has long leaves, with silvery-green undersides, turning orange in autumn.

  • Fruit colour: Red
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  Sorbus folgneri
• Whitebeam

  John Bond

  An unusual species of Sorbus, the leaves are particularly attractive for their white undersides.

  • Fruit colour: Brown
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  Sorbus hemsleyi
• Whitebeam

  John Mitchell

  

  John Mitchell is a popular whitebeam, notable for its large white-green leaves.

  • Fruit colour: Brown
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  Sorbus x aria
• Whitebeam

  Lemon Drop

  Lemon Drop is a small whitebeam tree, with the characteristic white undersides to its leaves. As the name suggests, the fruitlets are bright yellow.

  • Fruit colour: Yellow
  Sorbus folgneri
• WhitebeamBest seller

  Lutescens

  An excellent large garden tree, very hardy, easy to grow, and tolerant of a wide range of soils and conditions. Grey-green leaves turn russet in autumn, with orange berries.

  • Fruit colour: Orange / Red
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  Sorbus aria
• Whitebeam

  Red Bird

  

  Red Bird features bright white flowers, orange / red fruits and good autumn leaf colours. It has a wider climate range than other rowans.

  • Fruit colour: Orange / Red
  Sorbus alnifolia
• Whitebeam

  Sorbus hedlundii

  A little-known whitebeam species, it features the classic downy grey-green leaves, and russeted fruitlets in autumn.

  • Fruit colour: Brown
  Sorbus hedlundii
• Whitebeam

  Sorbus japonica

  An upright rowan with large oval leaves and attractive autumn colours and large red fruitlets.

  • Fruit colour: Red
  Sorbus japonica
• Whitebeam

  Sorbus wardii

  

  A little-known Whitebeam from the Himalayas, featuring large silver-green leaves and yellow-orange berries.

  • Fruit colour: Yellow / Orange
  Sorbus wardii
• Whitebeam

  Wild Service Tree

  A large traditional Rowan tree, native to England.

  • Fruit colour: Brown
  Sorbus torminalis

How to choose Whitebeam trees

Whitebeams are part of the Sorbus family, and closely related to rowans. However whilst rowans usually have highly feathered leaves, whitebeams have regular-shaped leaves - often with attractive veins which are white on the undersides. Like rowans, whitebeams produce clusters of small flowers in late spring, followed by abundant (usually red) fruitlets. The main attraction is the orange and red colours of the autumn foliage, but whitebeams have a stately presence throughout the year.

Whitebeams are very easy to grow, and tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, including chalky soils and exposed situations.

Many of our whitebeam trees are grafted on to Sorbus intermedia rootstocks (also known as Swedish Whitebeam). We also sometimes use Sorbus aucuparia (the common Rowan). This helps give a consistent size and form.