Botanical Name: Sorbus aucuparia
Family: Rosaceae
Other Names: Eyes delight, druids tree,
lady of the mountains, mountain ash, Pyrus aucuparia, quickbeam, quicken, tree
of life, wild ash, witchbane, witchen, witchwand, witchwood
Habitat: Dry woods, rocky places
Description: Small deciduous tree up
to 20m/66ft tall with smooth grey bark Leaves alternate, toothed, leaflets in
5-10pairs Flowers small, white in umbel May, five petals, five sepals. Red berry
clusters 6-9mm. August – November
Native To: Europe, South West Asia,
Britain, and Northern North America
Parts Used: Bark, fruit
Harvesting: Berries October
Actions: Bark – Astringent
Fruit – Astringent, nutritive
Constituents: Bark-tannins, Fruit -
fruit acids, sugars
Seeds & Fruit: Cyanogenetic glycosides:
amygdalin, prunasin
Parasorbic acid
Culinary Uses: Alcohol, jellies
Digestive: Diarrhoea
Other Uses: Ship masts, walking sticks,
black dye
Other Notes: Berries contain a pentagram
Musali the Baltic - Slavic King of The Spirits of the
Forest
Traditionally said to protect against dark power