Sorbus aucuparia x Aronia (Sorbaronia) – Ivan’s Beauty Mountain Ash

General Information: A small tree  8-10 ft. in height. Ivan’s Beauty™ is easy to grow, and produces fruit in 1-2 years. Ivan’s Beauty™ is a hybrid of Chokeberries (Aronia) and Mountain Ash (Sorbus) with 3-season appeal. The fruits are larger than Mountain Ash berries and are an attractive, bright, wine-red color. In spring, prolific clusters of pink-tinged flowers appear. In autumn, the foliage turns a dazzling red. This small tree has a beautiful appearance and an interesting backstory. Both are sure to impress!

Edible Qualities: The fruits are prized for making Wine, Jelly, Sauces, and Juice; often mixed with other fruits, such as Apple. The fruits are about ½ inch in diameter and can also be made into Rowanberry Jelly. Like Chokeberries (Aronia), Rowan (Sorbus), and Mountain Ash (Sorbus), the fruit can be rather astringent and tart until the first frost. They are tastiest when cooked. These fruits are also a major source of pectin and are very useful for combining with other fruits to make preserves.

Cultivation Details: These plants are self fertile. Only one is required to produce fruit. They prefer similar conditions to their parent plants; see our listing for Aronia melanocarpa for more details. They are very cold hardy. With size similarities to Mountain Ash, and fruit production reminiscent of Aronia, they are well suited for border plantings, woodland edges, or as a specimen plant. Low maintenance. Makes a good border or hedge-row tree. Exceptional Wildlife Food Source; a favorite among numerous bird species.

Growing requirements: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Prefers moist, loamy soils. Tolerant of sandy or clay soils as long as they remain moist and well-drained. Suitable for growth in acidic, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils.

Fun Facts: These plants were developed by European horticulturalists during the 1800’s. One of the most famous of these was Ivan Michurin, a Russian pomologist who this variety was named for. He specialized in the cross-breeding of geographically distinct plants, developing techniques that encouraged hybridization between these otherwise incompatible species. He is today remembered for developing the ‘Antonovka’ Apple, which is widely used as root stock for most Apple varieties grown in the US toady.