Sorbus aria (syn. Aria nivea), the whitebeam or common whitebeam, is a European and Near-Eastern deciduous tree, the type species of the subgenus of the whitebeams. Typically compact and domed, with few upswept branches and almost-white underside of the leaves. It generally favours dry limestone and chalk soils. The hermaphrodite cream-white flowers appear in May, are insect pollinated, and go on to produce scarlet berries, which are often eaten by birds. Develo