Sorbus aucuparia Sorbus aucuparia Sorbus aucuparia, commonly called rowan and mountain-ash, is a species of deciduous tree or shrub in the rose family. It is a highly variable species, and botanists have used different definitions of the species to include or exclude trees native to certain areas; a recent definition includes trees native to most of Europe and parts of Asia, as well as northern Africa. The range extends from Madeira and Iceland to Russia and northern China. Unlike many plants with similar distributions, it is not native to Japan. "S. aucuparia" has a slender trunk with smooth bark, a loose and
North Fork Mountain pine barren in the Central Appalachians. Other rocky summits, including the summit of Pike Knob, are blanketed by red pine ("Pinus resinosa") forests, here at their southernmost natural occurrences. The Monongahela National Forest has designated of old growth red pine forest on the mountain as the North Fork Mountain Red Pine Botanical Area. Another unusual vegetation type on North Fork Mountain is an elfin forest dominated by yellow birch ("Betula alleghaniensis"), mountain ash ("Sorbus americana"), and mountain holly. The oak-and-pine vegetation of North Fork Mountain contrasts strongly with the more diverse vegetation of the nearby mountains just west of the