Sorbus × hybrida by thrushes and waxwings, which disperse the seeds. It is a tetraploid species of hybrid origin between "S. aucuparia" (European rowan) and "S. intermedia" (Swedish whitebeam), the latter being a tetraploid triple hybrid between "S. aucuparia", "S. torminalis", and either "S. aria" or one of its close relatives. "S. intermedia" differs from "S. hybrida" in having the leaves less deeply lobed with no separate leaflets. Closely related "Sorbus meinichii" is a triploid or tetraploid species of hybrid origin between "S. hybrida" and "S. aucuparia" and differs in having the basal four to six pairs of lobes cut right to the
Sorbus decora The fruits (pomes) are bright red to orange-red and across. Showy mountain-ash is very similar to the closely related American mountain-ash ("Sorbus americana"). Like the American mountain-ash, the showy mountain-ash has odd-pinnately compound leaves and often large clusters of flowers and fruits. Showy mountain-ash can be distinguished by its shiny, sticky buds, and its slightly larger flowers and fruit. It is said to bloom a week earlier. It is often cultivated as an ornamental plant for its cold-hardiness, its attractive flowers, and its large clusters of small red berry-like pomes. The fruits are an important source of food for wildlife,