Many years ago this tree shown to us on an excellent WFS trip to the Gaitbarrows Nature reserve. In 2005 it took some finding on the extensive limestone pavement but eventually the same tree was found. Sorbus lancastriensis only grows in the area of Lancashire around Silverdale and is an English endemic. Identifying an unknown Sorbus species is tricky for you really need both fruits and leaves. Moreover the numbers of veins and shape of the teeth on the leaves vary on the same tree. In this photo the leaves seem a bit deformed so a trip to find flowers, fruit and better shaped leaves is called for.

The difficulty rating is twofold. First finding the tree as there are other Sorbus species growing there and second finding your way round and hopefully out of a huge area of limestone pavement with clints and grikes trying to break your legs and every direction looking the same. Gaitbarrows is a great place to get completely lost.

Gaitbarrows, Lancashire 10th May 2005

Added on November 30th 2005, updated 10th February 2012