Side by side
Wild service tree or Swedish whitebeam? How to tell them apart
Sorbus torminalis · Sorbus intermedia
How to tell them apart – wild service tree: alternate leaf with sharp, triangular lobes, almost like a maple leaf, small brown fruits and red autumn colour; Swedish whitebeam: leaf lobed only in the lower half, with a grey-felted underside, and orange-red berries.
How do you recognise them?
- Wild service tree
- Alternate leaf with sharp, triangular lobes, almost like a maple leaf; small brown fruits and red autumn colour.
- Swedish whitebeam
- Leaf shallowly lobed only in the lower half, with a grey-felted underside; orange-red berries.
- Compared with wild service tree: leaf lobed only in the lower half, with a grey-felted underside, and orange-red berries.
| Wild service tree | Swedish whitebeam | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 6–12 cm, with 3–5 pairs of sharp, toothed lobes; the lowest pair is the most deeply cut and spreads outwards. Glossy dark green; autumn colour red to purple. | Alternate, 7–12 cm, oval; lower half shallowly lobed, upper part toothed. Underside greyish-yellow felted. |
| Flowering | Clusters of white flowers in May–June (May–June). | Clusters of white flowers in May (May). |
| Fruit | Egg-shaped fruits 1–1.5 cm long, red at first, brown with pale speckles when ripe; edible once bletted. | Orange-red berries in clusters. |
| Bark | Grey; on older trees it flakes off in small square scales, like a pear tree. | Grey and smooth, later with shallow cracks. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 10–20 m | Broadleaf tree, 10–15 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | November–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Wild service tree is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- Wild service tree grows 10–20 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Wild service tree
- Plant profile: Swedish whitebeam
- Wild service tree: when and how to prune
- Swedish whitebeam: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.