Sorbus aucuparia Dirkenii

Sorbus aucuparia 'Dirkenii' is a cultivar of mountain ash with an upright habit and foliage beautifully shaded with yellow and bright green. It forms an erect tree that can reach a height of 5 to 8 metres. It displays the typical compound foliage of the species but in a very bright colour. It offers a beautiful autumn colouring in yellow or red. Its white flowering appears in spring, followed by red berries enjoyed by birds. It is very hardy and accommodating in terms of soil and climate.

The mountain ash is a tree that grows to about fifteen metres and in nature grows in hedges, roadside borders, or woodland edges. Its natural distribution range is immense as it covers a large part of Europe, Russia, temperate Asia and Japan. Its great hardiness and tolerance to many different natural conditions, whether in terms of soil or climate, explain this ability of the species to spread. In the countryside, its berries feed wild birds.
As a member of the large Rosaceae family, there are dozens of species, with Sorbus aucuparia being one of the most common.

'Dirkenii' was obtained by the Dutch nurseryman Dirken around 1880. It forms a small, harmonious tree that reaches about 5 to 8 metres in height at maturity. Its odd-pinnate foliage is composed of leaflets in bright green-to-yellow. The flowering in white umbels of about 14 cm in diameter appears around May-June and attracts bees. The flowers then give many clusters of very decorative, bright red fruits, 1 cm or more in diameter, which delight birds that feed on them until the end of the year. In autumn, the foliage takes on a yellow to red colour depending on the conditions.
This mountain ash should be planted in non-scorching sun in mild and rainy climates and in partial shade wherever the sun is more intense. It is not demanding in terms of soil and can thrive in poor soil without any problem. Similarly, moist to dry soils without excess will suit it.

This 'Dirkenii' mountain ash is suitable for small to medium-sized gardens, or even in large spaces alongside larger trees. A beautiful purple oak as a foliage contrast can serve as a valuable background. In a smaller garden or planted in a mixed bed, it can be associated with shrubs such as Cotinus 'Royal Purple' whose purple foliage also enhances it. Shrubs with decorative berries of various colours for a cocktail of colours like Callicarpa or Symphoricarpos brighten up the whole during the winter period.