''Aria edulis'', the whitebeam or common whitebeam, is a species of deciduous tree in the family ''

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

''. It is native to most of Europe as well as North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) and temperate Asia ( Eastern Turkey, Armenia, Georgia). Typically compact and domed, with few upswept branches and almost-white underside of the leaves, it generally favours dry limestone and chalk soils. The

hermaphrodite In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrate ...

cream-white flowers appear in May, are insect pollinated, and go on to produce scarlet berries, which are often eaten by birds. The

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

''A. edulis'' 'Lutescens', with very whitish-green early leaves, and ''A. edulis'' 'Majestica', with large leaves, have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. The berries are edible when overripe ( bletted). It has a high capacity to form new shoots around the trunk. File:Weilburg - Tiergarten - Mehlbeere.jpg, Tree

References

aria Flora of Europe Trees of Europe {{Sorbus-stub