Our town has recently planted several deciduous trees along it's main street. I asked one of the shop owners what they were and she said "pear ash trees". I've looked this up on the net but can't find anything. It was late into the fall so I had very little to go on but the leaves looked similar to a birch and the bark was smooth and grey. There was a small group of berries on one of the branches. The main stem grew straight out from the branch and had greyish berries that looked like grapes but they were not clustered. There was one berry on the end of each twig. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated. Fleur
You're right, there's no such thing as the name you were given. Not easy to make anything from your notes, perhaps a whitebeam (Sorbus aria) or similar, but they have red berries, not grey (unless the berries had gone mouldy!). Can you get some photos? I suspect that's the only way to get them identified.
Thanks Michael - I'll try your whitebeam (Sorbus aria) idea and see what I come up with. Hard to get worthwhile pictures this time of year as there is nothing left on the trees. I may have to wait til spring to find out what it is.
Photos even now, showing the buds and any dried-out berries, would help! Also if there's still any fallen leaves on the ground under them. Another possibility: Callery Pear Pyrus calleryana (a.k.a. Bradford Pear).
'Bradford' is but one of many cultivars of Callery pear. Your fruit description does sound like Callery pear. Although birches have noticeably toothed and veined leaves and pears do not, the general leaf shape of the Callery pear may have been what you thought was birch-like.
Thank-you Ron~ Everyone on this site is better than the internet! Someone else suggested the Callery Pear but I've yet to check out that one. Thanks again...
