Ozark fall color will probably not be too spectacular this year. Many trees experienced serious stress due to the very hot and dry weather in July and August. However, there’s nothing wrong with planning for beautiful fall color and hoping it works out.
Although mountain ash trees are not native to the Ozarks, they can be beautiful specimen trees that provide wonderful fall color. The Sorbus species can have problems with borers and canker, so it’s best to plant these trees and baby them.
There are several varieties of mountain ash: Korean, American, European and Whitebeam. All are known for providing beautiful flowers in the spring and color in the fall.
Korean mountain ash, botanically known as Sorbus alnifolia, is a native tree in China, Korea and Japan. It is known for its adaptability when compared to other mountain ash trees. It can be grown in zones three to six.
Mountain ash trees should be grown in welldrained soil and in full sun. This tree does not do well in urban environments, and in suburban areas, keep the tree away from the heat of asphalt or concrete. This tree should do well in a rural setting where pollution or heat from the ground is less likely.
The Korean mountain ash is pyramidal when it’s being established in its youth, and it grows more rounded with age. The leaves of Korean mountain ash are light green when they emerge in the spring. They turn dark green as they mature and the weather warms.
The aforementioned fall foliage begins as yellow and ages to golden brown and orange through the fall. All mountain ash trees are known for their fall fruit display, but the Korean mountain ash provides the most spectacular of fruit displays, too. The colorful berries in the fall range from pink to orange to red and every color in between.
Flowering occurs midspring with two to three-inch diameter clusters of white flowers. The flowers may be more or less abundant from year to year for unknown reasons.
The Korean mountain ash can reach 40 to 50 feet in height and 20 to 30 feet in width. It is recommended, if possible, to plan the tree where it has an evergreen background to get the full ornamental effect of the tree.
Questions or comments related to gardening? Email Joleen Durham at missourigardener@hotmail.com.