Rosaceae

Sorbus sitchensis

Sitka Mountain-Ash

Erect shrub, red-brown hairs on young growth. Leaves long, divided into 7–11 blue-green leaflets with rounded tips. Leaflets broader near tip, toothed. Inflorescence is a 2–4 in. round-topped cluster of small white flowers. Berries bright red with whitish waxy coating, hanging after leaves fall in autumn. Grows in rocky open slopes at mid- to alpine but mostly subalpine elevations. Berries very tart, eaten mostly by migrating birds, although suitable for jelly. Var. grayi leaflets are toothed just above middle. Var. sitchensis, found in western British Columbia and Washington, has leaflets toothed 1/2–3/4 of the way around.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 3--12 feet
• Habitat: Subalpine, Meadow
• Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Crater Lake Np, Wallowas, Steens, West Gorge
• Native: Yes