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Aria edulis, the whitebeam or common whitebeam, is a species of deciduous tree in the family Rosaceae.
Description
The tree often forms new shoots around the trunk. Typically compact and domed, the plant has a few upswept branches and the leaves have an almost-white underside. The hermaphrodite cream-white flowers appear in May, are insect pollinated, and go on to produce scarlet berries, which are often eaten by birds.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to most of Europe as well as North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia) and temperate Asia (Eastern Turkey, Armenia, Georgia). It generally favours dry limestone and chalk soils.
Uses
The berries are edible when overripe (bletted).
The cultivars A. edulis 'Lutescens', with very whitish-green early leaves, and A. edulis 'Majestica', with large leaves, have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
References
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