American Mountain-ash

Sorbus americana

Found in moist forests, balds, and rock outcrops, often with Picea , Abies , and/or Betula alleghaniensis , southwards only at high elevations. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height: 15–35 feet
Spread: 8–20 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 14 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: June to July
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

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Recorded in 7 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Mountain balds

Treeless grassy or shrubby summits and ridges in the high mountains.

Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits

Cliffs, ledges, rock outcrops, talus and rocky summits where the source does not name the rock. A named rock files the place under its own glade or outcrop type instead.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 120 animals.

American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 3 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Cooper's Hawk
Accipiter cooperii
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Purple Finch
Carpodacus purpureus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Birds. 3 shared habitats
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Dendroica caerulescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Black-throated Green Warbler
Dendroica virens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Blackburnian Warbler
Dendroica fusca
Birds. 2 shared habitats

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

67CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Sorbus

Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
Acronicta clarescensClear Dagger
Acronicta fragilisFragile Dagger
Acronicta funeralisFunerary Dagger, Paddle Caterpillar
Acronicta griseaGray Dagger
Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
Acronicta innotataUnmarked Dagger
Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
Acronicta radcliffeiRadcliffe's Dagger
Acronicta superansSplendid Dagger, Chieftain Dagger

Show all 67

Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
Catocala gryneaWoody Underwing
Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
Choristoneura conflictanaLarge Aspen Tortrix
Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Dysstroma citrataDark Marbled Carpet
Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet
Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Hedya chionosemaTwin-Spotted Budworm, White-Spotted Hedya
Hedya nr.Large Bud Moth, Green Bud Moth, Off-White Hedya
Hesperumia sulphurariaSulphur Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
Korscheltellus gracilisConifer Swift Moth, Graceful Ghost Moth
Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
Lomographa semiclarataBluish Spring Moth, Wildcherry Looper
Lomographa vestaliataWhite Spring Moth
Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
Lyonetia prunifoliellaStriped Bent-wing
Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Metaxaglaea semitariaFootpath Sallow
Metaxaglaea viaticaRoadside Sallow
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
Papilio canadensisCanadian Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
Paraclemensia acerifoliellaMaple Leafcutter, Maple Case-Bearer
Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
Phyllonorycter crataegellaApple Leaf Miner, Apple Blotch Leafminer, Apple Leafblotch Miner
Podosesia syringaeLilac Borer Moth, Ash Borer
Pseudothyatira cymatophoroidesTufted Thyatirid
Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
Synanthedon pictipesLesser Peachtree Borer Moth
Synanthedon pyriApple Bark Borer, Pear Borer
Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
Venusia cambricaThe Welsh Wave
Venusia comptariaBrown-Shaded Carpet
Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sorbus

Catharus fuscescensVeery
Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Coccothraustes vespertinusEvening Grosbeak
Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Rosaceae
Hardiness: Zones 2a–6b
Soil pH: Acidic
Flower color: White
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “June to July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 2a–6b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “15–35 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “8–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

American Mountain Ash

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	S4
Global rank	G5
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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American Mountain-ash

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Sorbus