Small, pear-shaped fruits adorn the wild service tree beside the South Walk.
Cormus domestica (syn. Sorbus domestica), or service tree, is a member of a complex group of closely related trees which includes the genera Sorbus, Cormus and Aria. It is a native of the Mediterranean, north Africa and the Caucasus. In the wild it occurs in small numbers in isolated populations in rocky, dry sites. This species can survive for several hundred years, and is larger than many closely related Sorbus species, exceeding 20m in height. It has attractive pinnate foliage comprising between thirteen and twenty-one leaflets, and produces panicles of white flowers in May, and small green or brown-tinged fruits to 3cm in length. The fruits are edible if bletted (or softened beyond ripeness), and are used to make jams and alcohol, and also in the treatment of intestinal problems.