Wild Service Tree

A splash of color in autumn 🍁🌳
The wild service tree (Torminalis glaberrima) is a small tree 🌳 that reaches a height of 15-20 meters, similar to maple. It grows in deciduous forests, scrublands, on rocky slopes, and among cliffs.
The flowers 🌸🌼 are creamy-white, five-petaled, clustered in small bunches. They are fragrant and highly sought after by pollinating insects 🐝🦋; they bloom between April and May.
The fruits (sorbs) are small ovoid pomes with a tangy taste, much appreciated by birds and edible: they used to be eaten dried or used to make brandy.
⁉️ Did you know? 😲
The leaves turn color in autumn with variable shades 🍁 depending on the soil reaction: from golden yellow to orange to bright red, sometimes even to purple.
Photo Rosenzweig, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons