Sorbus 'Alaya Large' – one of the most valuable varieties of sorbus, obtained through hybridization using pollen from different pear breeds. The tree reaches a height of 5–10 m and has a round, spreading crown, making it an excellent choice for solo plantings, avenues, and urban greening.
Leaves are large, compound, odd-pinnate, dark green and glossy. They consist of 7–15 wide-lanceolate leaflets with large stipules, giving the tree a decorative appearance even during the fruitless period.
Fruits – large, weighing from 2.3 g to 4 g, red in color and resembling cherries. The flesh is intensely yellow, with a sour-sweet taste and a slight astringency and pleasant aroma. Fruits are collected in clusters, which facilitates harvest. The tree is partially self-fertile, and the annual yield can reach 150 kg from one adult tree.
'Alaya Large' is characterized by high frost hardiness – withstands temperature drops to minus 50 °C, and is resistant to pests and diseases. Grows on any garden soils, but prefers light, fertile, moist, and well-drained soils. Care for the sapling includes removing suckers at the root collar, watering, fertilizing, soil loosening, and pest control.
The variety is suitable for cultivation in all regions, is a good spring nectar source, and attracts birds during the winter. Thanks to its decorative and fruiting qualities, it is widely used in private gardens as well as in city parks and streets.
