The common whitebeam (Sorbus aria) is the tree of the year 2024. Because it tolerates longer dry periods and high levels of sunlight well, it was chosen as Tree of the Year 2024 by the advisory board of the association of the same name.
The municipality of Gilching asks its citizens to report locations of the tree. The true whitebeam is best recognized by its flowers and later by its fruits, says Jürgen Ehrhardt, district consultant for gardening and landscaping in the Starnberg district. The tree got its name because its ground seeds were occasionally added to flour in ancient times. The white and cream-colored flowers stand out from the then dark green leaves. While the whitebeam bears small. fruits from summer onwards, its leaves turn colorful in autumn, from yellow to orange to red and. red and golden, south of the town of Dornierstrasse in Gilching. It is more commonly found as a shrub or small tree.