Rowan

Sorbus aucuparia, the rowan or mountain ash, is a small deciduous tree native to Europe and western Asia, valued for its year-round interest and toughness in cold, exposed places.

Its pinnate leaves resemble those of ash (hence mountain ash, though it is unrelated to true ash). In late spring it bears flat clusters of creamy-white flowers, followed in autumn by dense bunches of bright orange-red berries that draw flocks of birds.

Able to grow at high elevations and in poor soils, the rowan is a familiar mountain and garden tree across northern Europe. It features heavily in folklore as a protective tree warding off witchcraft.

A small, slender deciduous tree typically 8-15 m tall with an open, rounded crown.

• Leaves: pinnate, with 9-15 toothed, lance-shaped leaflets, resembling ash; often coloring orange-red in autumn
• Flowers: dense, flat-topped clusters of small creamy-white blooms in late spring
• Fruit: abundant clusters of round, bright orange to scarlet berries in late summer and autumn
• Bark: smooth, shiny grey, becoming slightly fissured with age
• Habit: upright and graceful, tolerant of exposure

An easy, hardy tree well suited to cold and exposed gardens.

• Light: full sun to partial shade
• Water: moderate; prefers reliably moist but well-drained soil
• Soil: tolerant of poor, acidic, and rocky soils; dislikes hot, dry chalk
• Temperature: very cold-hardy, zones 3-7; thrives in cool climates
• Feeding: rarely needed
• Propagation: from seed (requires cold stratification) or by grafting for named cultivars

Native to Europe and parts of western Asia, ranging far north and into mountainous regions, where it grows on rocky slopes, in upland woods, and at high elevation, earning the name mountain ash.

Widely planted as an ornamental street and garden tree in cool-temperate regions and naturalized in parts of North America.