With its late colour, bright berries and easy care, the sorbus always adds an unexpected note of cheer as the days darkenAs an unashamed fair-weather gardener, I can’t help but feel the pangs of “back to school” sadness every Sunday night as we slide towards autumn. I am simply not ready to pack my shorts and flip-flops away, along with the everyday joy of daylight and new life. Yet just when this feeling starts creeping up on me, without fail a single tree comes to my rescue: sorbus. The first properly cold evenings cause its feathery foliage to flush the most dazzling shades, setting off its bunches of berries to impossibly beautiful effect. It’s a reminder that without winters you would never get that blaze of autumnal colour that precedes them, or the riotous new growth of spring that follows. And in between, of course, it’s the perfect time to plant them.I love how the fireworks of Sorbus vilmorinii are a display that constantly evolves. Bright red leaves create a dramatic foil for dusky pink berries in the early autumn, but as the temperatures tumble their crimson leaves sink to a deep purple while their berries slowly fade to a ghostly white. Proper magical stuff. Like many sorbus, their small stature means you won’t need rolling acres to grow them either, as they should get to a maximum of 5m. If you need a smaller version, S pseudovilmorinii is a pretty good doppelgänger that only grows to 4m. Similarly, the columnar habit of S aucuparia ‘Fastigiata’ means it packs a lot of colour into a relatively modest footprint. Despite growing up to 8m, its push skyward means it only grows half as wide – and is festooned with brick-red berries. Continue reading…
Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Why a sorbus is autumn’s own rescue remedy | James Wong
