North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark Lee" <markl@nytec.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] mountain ash utility

Lon,

Do you have any experience growing the non-bitter eastern European varieties from seed?  I am wondering if Sorbus are like citrus in that most come true from seed, or like apples in that most do not come true from seed.  I am thinking mainly of the bitter/non-bitter characterisitc.  Each year I have many Sorbus seedlings come up around my yard, but none so far is worth keeping even to nibble.

-Mark Lee, Seattle

-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Lon J. Rombough
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 10:31 AM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] mountain ash utility

One would expect the seeds to be much like those in Amelanchier, in which you can eat the fresh berries if you don't chew the seeds, or else cook the fruit to break down the cyanide.
   There are actually quite a few species of Mt. Ash (Sorbus) with edible fruit.  The English have been using many for years.  
   I have some of the "lookalike" types from easten Europe that lack the bitterness of the common ornamental types, and some of the S. domestica types that have to be "bletted" to be eaten.  The latter has some serious quirks, though.  One is that they can't be grafted by ordinary means.  The other is that  the wood is incredibly hard.  There may be a connection there.
   The NCGR at Corvallis, OR has a collection of Sorbus, most of which have fruit that is edible (though maybe not always palatible).  Most of the edible ones are mainly mildly sweet, somewhat mealy fruit types.  Not great, but interesting as an edible ornamental.
-Lon Rombough

This question is from a string (WI, Madison area) discussing native vs
european mountain ash, and uses for them.  Any replies from nafexers ?

tc



I didn't even know there's a non-native mountain ash until I read this.
Glad to find out that it's the ugly one (you know, in my opinion).  I prefer
the smaller red fruits to the big orange ones, which seem a little gaudy to
me.  (Of course, some who know my taste in flower colors and combinations
will wonder how I can judge anything to be gaudy...)

Anyone have more info on distinguishing the two?  Anyone know about the
safety of drinking tisane from the leaves/bark (i.e., are there any problems
with cyanide, as there are in cherry bark and apple seeds)?

Kathryn