About Hedlundia hybrida (L.) Sennikov & Kurtto
Hedlundia hybrida is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows 10–15 m (33–49 ft) tall. It has a stout trunk that can reach up to 60 cm (24 in) in diameter, and the tree has grey bark. Young trees have a columnar or conic crown, which becomes rounded as the tree ages, with branches angled upwards. The leaves are green on the upper surface, and densely covered with white hairs on the lower surface. They measure 7–12 cm (2.8–4.7 in) long and 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) broad, and are lobed, with six to nine oval lobes on each side of the leaf. These lobes are widest near the base; the two basal pairs of lobes are cut all the way to the midrib, forming separate leaflets. Each lobe is rounded at the apex, with finely serrated margins. The autumn foliage of this species turns a dull rusty brown. Its flowers are 20 mm (0.79 in) in diameter, with five white petals and 20 yellowish-white stamens. The flowers grow in corymbs 6–11 cm (2.4–4.3 in) in diameter, and bloom in late spring. The fruit is a globose pome 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) in diameter, which is bright red when it matures in mid-autumn. The fruit is succulent, and is eaten by thrushes and waxwings, which disperse the tree's seeds. In cultivation, Hedlundia hybrida is grown as an ornamental tree in northern Europe, and is locally naturalised in the British Isles. Its cultivar 'Gibbsii' has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
