Northern mountain ash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northern mountain ash |
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The Showy Mountain-Ash (Sorbus decora) is a type of deciduous plant. This means it loses its leaves every autumn. It can grow as a shrub or a small tree. You can find it naturally in northeastern North America. It grows in places like the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, the New England-Acadian forest area, and the eastern Canadian boreal forests. It is also known by other names like northern mountain ash or dogberry.
What Does it Look Like?
The Showy Mountain-Ash usually grows to be about 4 to 10 meters (13 to 33 feet) tall. Its leaves are special because they are odd-pinnately compound. This means each leaf has a central stem with many smaller leaflets growing in pairs along it, plus one leaflet at the very end.
- Each leaf has 11 to 17 leaflets.
- Each leaflet is about 5 to 10 centimeters (2 to 4 inches) long.
- They are also about 1 to 2.5 centimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) wide.
The plant's parts are mostly smooth, with only a few hairs. Its flowers grow in large clusters called panicles. These clusters can be 6 to 25 centimeters (2.4 to 9.8 inches) wide and hold 125 to more than 400 flowers!
- Each flower is small, about 5 to 7.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) across.
- They have five white petals, which are about 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.14 inches) long.
- Each flower also has 14 to 20 stamens (the parts that make pollen).
- It has 3 to 4 styles (parts of the female reproductive organ).
After the flowers, the plant produces bright red or orange-red fruits. These fruits are called pomes, which are like small berries. They are about 4 to 7 millimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) across.
How is it Different from Similar Plants?
The Showy Mountain-Ash looks a lot like its close relative, the American Mountain-Ash (Sorbus americana). Both plants have leaves with many leaflets and often grow large groups of flowers and fruits.
However, you can tell the Showy Mountain-Ash apart by a few things:
- Its buds (the parts that will grow into new leaves or flowers) are shiny and a bit sticky.
- Its flowers and fruits are slightly larger than those of the American Mountain-Ash.
- It is also said to bloom, or open its flowers, about a week earlier.
Uses of the Showy Mountain-Ash
People often plant the Showy Mountain-Ash in gardens and parks. It is popular as an ornamental plant because it is very tough and can handle cold weather. Its beautiful flowers and large clusters of small red fruits make it a lovely addition to any landscape.
The bright red fruits are also a very important food source for many wild animals. Birds especially love to eat these fruits during the winter and early spring when other food might be hard to find.
