Species of tree in family Rosaceae
Aria edulis, the whitebeam or common whitebeam,[2] is a species of deciduous tree in the family Rosaceae.
The tree often forms new shoots around the trunk. Typically compact and domed, the plant has a few upswept branches and the leaves have an almost-white underside. The hermaphrodite cream-white flowers appear in May, are insect pollinated, and go on to produce scarlet berries, which are often eaten by birds.[3]
It is native to most of Europe as well as North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) and temperate Asia (Eastern Turkey, Armenia, Georgia).[4] It generally favours dry limestone and chalk soils.
The cultivars A. edulis 'Lutescens',[5] with very whitish-green early leaves, and A. edulis 'Majestica',[6] with large leaves, have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7]
The berries are edible when overripe (bletted).[8]
References
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