Sorbus vilmorinii Sorbus vilmorinii Sorbus vilmorinii, the Vilmorin's rowan or Vilmorin's mountain ash (), is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to Sichuan, Tibet and Yunnan in China. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree, tall, with ferny leaves, each having multiple leaflets that turn purple in autumn (fall). The fruits, which can last through winter, are crimson, turning to pale pink. They are eaten by birds when there is no other food supply nearby. The specific epithet "vilmorinii" refers to the 19th century French horticulturalist Maurice de Vilmorin. It grows in a wide range of habitats
Sorbus aucuparia damp, acidic, low on nutrients, sandy, and loose. It often grows in stony soil or clay soil, but also sandy soil or wet peat. The plant grows best on fresh, loose, and fertile soil, prefers average humidity, and does not tolerate saline soil or waterlogging. It can be found in light woodland of all kinds and as a pioneer species over fallen dead trees or in clearcuttings, and at the edge of forests or at the sides of roads. Seeds of "S. aucuparia" germinate easily, so the plant may appear on inaccessible rock, ruins, branch forks, or on hollow trees.