Mountain Ash

A dripping wet mountain ash (genus Sorbus; probably Sorbus Americana) in November 2006, not far below the summit of Mt Monadnock. Other common names include Rowan, Mountain Sumac, and Dogberry. Another Latin name is Pyrus Americana. Both the bark and the berries have been used as ingredients in traditional medicines, but I have not found reliable info as to its effectiveness. I found this tidbit about Pyrus Aucuparia, the European cousin of this species: "The fruit is a favourite food of birds. A delicious jelly is made from the berries, which is excellent with cold game or wild fowl, and a wholesome kind of perry or cider can also be made from them." "In Northern Europe they are dried for flour, and when fermented yield a strong spirit. The Welsh used to brew an ale from the berries, the secret of which is now lost."