Something most people may not realize, pear trees can get to be just as big when they're own their own roots (i.e. not grafted).

There's an old abandoned orchard near me, probably planted in the 30's, with several pear trees towering 35 feet high. (It used to be part of a farm but now it's a protected nature reserve)

Here's a 65 foot tall wild pear, over 250 years old, located in the Botanical Garden of Gödöllő, in Hungary: http://www.treeoftheyear.org/Minule-rocniky/2014/Obri-plana-hrusen-v-Godollo.aspx

I've never seen one that big...they are always little flowering things. Not sure if it is because they are prone to disease in our climate and don't live long enough, or if people only started planting them around here recently. Another potential power line problem...

edlincoln - I don't think many Sorbus species get that big, so you're probably safe;-) Luckily we don't have overhead power lines in populated areas here.

Yes, S. aucuparia, decora, americana etc. never get anywhere near that size. Further, as members of the Rosaceae, short-lived, attacked by numerous insects and pathogens, these types-the natives anyway-are really temporary items in the landscape. I see S. ameriana especially in limestone rocky areas, where its beautiful orange fruits are really set off against the stone cliffs, etc. And as a landscape plant, S. decora, aucuparia and americana simply don't have lifespans long enough to achieve much size.

Fantastic tree. It is almost disorienting to see a Sorbus that large. Our native Mountain-ash are small trees, but I've never seen a non-native Sorbus anywhere near that size. How large does S. aucuparia typically get where it is native?

In his book Native Trees for North American Landscapes, Guy Sternberg lists the largest Sorbus americana growing in the U.S. (West Virginia) at 18.6m tall and 60cm in diameter. I've only seen this tree growing wild along Lake Superior, and the champion Minnesota tree is slightly more than half as tall as the West Virginia tree.

Exactly. Lakeshore areas, rocky areas, these are the natural home of N. American Sorbus species. I have likewise seen them on another Great Lakes shoreline-Manitowoc County on this state's Lake Michigan coastline, growing in cracks in limestone rock outcroppings.

Just in case it isn't obvious the label gives the planting date for that particular tree: 1790. I was amazed, which is why I took the picture. maackia - I've never seen S aucuparia much more than about 7 metres. This site says they can grow taller and can be up to 200 years old but that is exceptional. I imagine some of the gnarly specimens in out of the way hilly areas are pretty old. They and their cultivars and hybrids are pretty common street trees over here as well as the straight species being wide spread in the wild. Then there all the various subspecies and cultivars of S aria, Whitebeam. Some of those make fabulous street and garden trees too. In some the leaves are so thickly covered in silky silver hairs that the trees appear to be in bloom when budding out, like shiny little magnolia flowers.

That tree is a beauty. I have never seen sorbus domestica IRL but I think I will try to get one, I realize now that I need one in my collection.

The only sorbus that I have ever seen that big is S. intermedia, they get that trunk diameter from time to time even if they normally not grow that tall.

Beautiful Tree! Never seen one that big in person.

If it's still there a large Sorbus domestica lives on a property in the next town south of me. Its dimensions at the time I measured it were recorded by Robert Van Pelt in Champion Trees of Washington State (University of Washington, Seattle).

About 11 years ago two raised in 1949 from seed sent from Yugoslavia and planted in the Seattle arboretum measured 79 ft. by 5 ft. 4 in. and 77 1/2 ft. x 6 ft. (Arthur Lee Jacobson, 2006, Trees of Seattle - Second Edition).

Owen Johnson (2011, Champion Trees of Britain & Ireland, Kew Publishing, RBG, Kew) says this species is "only locally occasional as a long-lived planted tree", lists large examples in Berks., Warwickshire and Hants. About S. aucuparia he says "most of the largest grow in harsh upland conditions" and mentions two big ones, one in Highland and another in Bucks.

Jacobson (above) reports that "The greatest height (85 ft.) and stoutest trunk (11 ft. 2 1/2 in.) for this species were both recorded here in Washington". To which I will add although it is still sold by nurseries S. aucuparia is naturalized to the point of weediness in this region. Cultivated examples in the cold and dry conditions east of the Cascade Mountains look better than those here on the Pacific Slope.

A now rather long deceased horticulture instructor I had in community college many years ago claimed that an extremely early British pioneer who settled near Bellingham planted this species there and from these plantings it has had by now hundreds of years to spread. I have never been able to verify this assertion in later years, even after the advent of the internet - but have no reason to think this party would have made it up or been mistaken either.

WOW, that's the first one that I've seen with rough bark let alone that large, mine are about 15' tall, they have a ways to go...

Hi guys, I'm trying to sprout S domestica seed this coming spring. I plan on cold stratification in moist sand, in a fridge and then spring planting. Any experiences?

I havn't done domestica but that method works well for other sorbus

Lovely, Flora - sorbus are, by a country mile, my favourite tree genus. I have a handful of tinies - vilmorinii, cashmeriensis, hupehensis and the delightful reducta but now I have a bit more space, I have been thinking about s.commixta...while both s.intermedia and s.aria (esp. 'Wilfred Fox') make terrific street trees in Cambridge. Named my eldest 'Rowan'.

I macerate the berries to get the clean seed then plant outside (now, in fact) for a spring germination.

You should get a commixta, go find one now in fall and you will know why

By the way, these are some of my sorbus ulleungensis seedlings, showing some fall color potential.

Hi guys, Action in the fridge.

A little thin white root ? is sprouting from the S. domestica seeds. It is in quite wet and fine sand, so it is a bit compact. there has also been some white mold growing on top of the sand, but all seems fine now.

What to do now?

I was planning to use a mix of peat, sand and perlite, wet it, and fill some medium size pots. Then I plan to scoop up the sprouting seedling and the sand and place it in the pot, then put it in a unheated propagator.

Any thoughts?

Does Sorbus domestica create taproots? how much room should the seedling have?

I've contacted Stuewes to get some tall pots, but I guess tall thin nursery pots is ok to start with? Then transplant to deep/tall-pots as soon as possible.

Any experiences?

Looking promising. I wish I could help but I've never grown them. However, they are perfectly hardy so won't need to be grown on indoors. Once hardened off they'll need to be outside.