White's Whitebeam (Sorbus whiteana)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Vascular plant > flowering plant > Shrub/sub-shrub |
| Red List Status: | Endangered (Not Relevant) [EN(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Sorbus whiteana |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | T.C.G.Rich & L.Houston |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | in Stroh et al., 2014 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | This Critically Endangered (Rivers et al. 2018) species, endemic to the Avon Gorge and Lower Wye Valley, seems to be suffering from a fungal disease which is affecting it in particular (and some other rare species also including S. wilmottiana) in the Avon Gorge causing loss of some trees. A recovery project is needed to identify the cause of this infection and determine what can be done to control it. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Fungus seems to be particularly affecting S. whiteana but also affects other species in Avon Gorge, Wye Valley and Cheddar |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | Some scrub management in Avon Gorge quarries would help all whitebeams medium term and whole SSSI would benefit from control of invasive species such as Holm oak. Lower Wye Gorge SSSI population is on cliffs where little can be done directly other than reintroduction of woodland coppicing management especially along cliff edges throughout Wye Valley |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Pathogen, hybridisation, INNS |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Avon Gorge Sorbus can be grouped together for similar action plans |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Reassess all populations in Avon Gorge and collect samples of infected trees, get fungus identified and work out control mechanism.
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Avon Gorge SSSI
Comments: Sorting this fungal problem could also help conserve other rare Sorbus species.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Control of invasive woody species e.g. Holm oak
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Avon Gorge SSSI
Comments: includes rope access work on cliffs
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.