General Information

 

Height:  Generally grows to be 10’-30’ feet in height

Mature Spread:  Usually has a spread of 15’ at full maturity- It has been found that as the American Mountain Ash tree grows, it represents a stationary age distribution, which means that it has an essentially increasing linear relationship between the numbers of stems versus the age of the American Mountain Ash tree  (Leak, 1975.) 

Growth Rate:  Slow

Fruit: Clusters of red/orange berries ripening in fall

Flowers:  Clusters of small white flowers

Fruit:  Clusters of circular berries, ripen to bright orange/red in the fall and remains on the tree all winter, very sour      if eaten raw    

Bark:  Grayish/brown when young- develops cracks and splits with age

Leaf:  Alternate on stem, pinnate, compound, pointed and sharply toothed, usually green (turn yellow in fall)

Common uses of American Mountain Ash:

·Planted for windbreaks

·The fruit is used to make homemade wine

·Berries are edible (generally cooked with meats or made into jelly), but not normally eaten raw; It has been found that the berries from American Mountain Ash have moderate antioxidant capacity, which may lead to protection against cardiovascular disease (Acuna, 2002.)

·Fruit and inner bark have been used for medicinal purposes in the past

·Ornamental decoration  (Index of Species Information, 1992.)

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