Identifying Whitebeams

Whitebeams are a diverse group of trees in the genus Sorbus that are small to medium in size. Alongside the familiar rowans and service trees (also in the genus Sorbus), there are an additional 50 or so species occurring in the British Isles – of which 43 are native and around 30 of which are endemic!

In this webinar, James Harding-Morris will provide an overview of the diversity and identification of both native (non-endemic) and non-native species of whitebeams, rowans and service trees in the UK and Ireland. The following species will be covered:

• Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
• Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
• Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis)
• Service Tree (Sorbus domestica)
• Rock Whitebeam (Sorbus rupicola)
• Swedish Whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia)
• Broad-leaved Whitebeam (Sorbus latifolia)
• Sharp-toothed Whitebeam (Sorbus sellii)
• Orange Whitebeam (Sorbus croceocarpa)
• German Service-tree (Sorbus aria × aucuparia = S. × ⁠thuringiaca)

Whether you’re a botanist, conservation practitioner, student or arborist, this session will provide you with the skills to start identifying the UK and Ireland’s whitebeams. You'll also gain insights into the whitebeams' ancestry, the widespread and rare species, the sites where whitebeam diversity thrives, and the remarkable stories of the archipelago’s most unique and vulnerable trees.

Please note that the endemic species of whitebeam will be covered in a specific focused follow up webinar:

• Endemic Whitebeams of the UK and Ireland (13 Oct 2026)