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MOUNTAIN ASH

Sorbus spp.
Sorbus spp. of the family Rosaceae. These species are not related to "true" ash (genus Fraxinus of the family Oleaceae) as can easily be seen by comparing the end grain update shots of the two genera.

Species include the following (and possibly others I'm not aware of):

• Sorbus alnifolia --- alder-leaved mountain ash
• Sorbus americana --- elder-leaved mountain ash, European mountain ash, Western mountain ash
• Sorbus aria --- European mountain ash, European white mountain ash, whitebeam mountain ash
• Sorbus aucuparia --- mountain ash, American mountain ash, European mountain ash
• Sorbus austriaca --- Austrian mountain ash
• Sorbus decora --- mountain ash, showy mountain ash
• Sorbus devoniensis --- British mountain ash
• Sorbus domestica --- European mountain ash
• Sorbus folgnerii --- Chinese mountain ash
• Sorbus harrowiana --- Yunnan mountain ash
• Sorbus hupehensis --- Hupen mountain ash
• Sorbus insignis --- Yunnan mountain ash
• Sorbus intermedia --- Swedish mountain ash
• Sorbus mougeottii --- Mougeot mountain ash
• Sorbus orientalis --- Oriental mountain ash
• Sorbus sambucifolia --- mountain ash
• Sorbus sargentiana --- Sargent's mountain ash
• Sorbus scopulina --- Green mountain ash, large-fruited mountain ash, Western mountain ash
• Sorbus serotina --- plum-leaf mountain ash
• Sorbus setschuanensis --- Szechuan mountain ash
• Sorbus sitchensis --- California mountain ash, Pacific mountain ash, Sikta mountain ash, Western mountain ash
• Sorbus toringo --- Toringo mountain ash
• Sorbus torminalis --- mountain ash, Oriental mountain ash
• Sorbus vestita --- Himalayan mountain ash

my samples: NOTE: these pics were all taken in very bright incandescent lighting ("soft white" at 2700K) colors will vary under other lighting conditions

both sides of a sample plank of American mountain ash / Sorbus americana --- HUGE enlargements are present.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of American mountain ash / Sorbus americana --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of American mountain ash / Sorbus americana --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site. In addition to Europe, this species also grows in America where it is often called American mountain ash even though it is not a true ash.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia --- HUGE enlargements are present. In addition to Europe, this species also grows in America where it is often called American mountain ash even though it is not a true ash.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

v
both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of European mountain ash (aka whitebeam) / Sorbus aria --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of Sikta mountain ash / Sorbus sitchensis --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of showy mountain ash / Sorbus decora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above


both sides of a sample plank of mountain ash / Sorbus decora --- HUGE enlargements are present. This sample was loaned to me by David Clark whom I thank for this and other contributions to the site.


end grain and end grain closeup of the piece directly above


END GRAIN UPDATE from directly above

web pics:

I note that most Internet pics of mountain ash are of the Australian (Eucalyptus) wood, not the American wood

mountain ash / Sorbus spp. end grain


log end listed as mountain ash / Sorbus aucuparia


plank listed as mountain ash / Sorbus americana


plank with dry and wet areas, listed as servicetree / Sorbus torminalis


another plank with wet and dry sections, listed as elsbeere which is another common name for some Sorbus species that are also called mountain ash.


plank listed as elsberre / Sorbus torminalis


planks listed as elsbeere which is another common name for some Sorbus species that are also called mountain ash.


veneer, all from the same vendor and all listed as elsbeere. I assume that this is all the same stuff and one of the colors is wrong (or possibly BOTH colors are wrong)


mountain ash bowl. This was not listed as spalted but should have been since it clearly has white rot and that is a form of spalting