True Service Tree is cultivated on the continent as an orchard fruit tree, it is not known as a wild species anywhere on the continent, although it almost certainly once was. It has not traditionally been planted as an orchard tree in Britain, but it is a true native of Britain with several naturally occurring trees along the Welsh-English borders and a single remnant tree growing in Cornwall. In all situations in the wild in Britain this tree is found growing out of river-side cliffs, producing rather stunted and distorted trees struggling for light. We believe the original dispersal vector of its seeds was via wild boar as they seek out the large tasty fruits and disperse the seed in their droppings. As the boar have been absent from Britain for centuries the tree has therefore become very rare.
The taxonomy of the Sorbus complex has undergone considerable revision in recent years. In particular, Sennikov & Kurtto (2017) published a comprehensive checklist proposing the recognition of several segregate genera based largely on molecular phylogenetic evidence. Under this treatment, the traditional genus Sorbus was divided into distinct genera including Aria, Cormus, Torminalis, Hedlundia and Karpatiosorbus.
However, these changes have not been universally accepted. More recent authors have adopted alternative classifications, with some merging several of the segregate genera again, while others, including Tim Rich et al in his recent treatment of the British flora, continue to recognise Sorbus in the traditional sense pending wider taxonomic consensus.
For reasons of stability and familiarity, Trebrown currently follows the traditional broad concept of Sorbus on this website, while acknowledging the alternative modern classifications. See our full Sorbus report.
At Trebrown Nurseries we maintain our own registered seed stands on Trebrown Farm, which remain the only seed stand registered in Cornwall. Sorbus domestica is not a FRM controlled species.
