Thursday 24 October 2013

The Rowan Tree

One of my favourite trees is the Rowan, Sorbus aucuparia. Also known as Mountain Ash, Quickbeam, Witchwood, Cairtheand (old Irish) and Dogberry in Canada. They can be found in abundance here, on the north edge of Dartmoor, though also found across much of the UK as well as many countries in the Northern Hemisphere.


They really stand out at this time, with their bright orangey red berries and colourful foliage. A great tree for the small garden, they tolerate most soil, sun or some shade. You can even use the berries to make jelly, which I have done in the past, mixed with some wild crab apples. The berries are also a great food source for many birds.

There are many species of Sorbus, some of which you can find at garden centres, other more unusual varieties can be sourced from specialist nurseries.

Sorbus vilmorinii
Sorbus vilmorinii or Vilmorins Rowan, is a very pretty, rounded small tree with gorgeous pink blushed berries that slowly turn white and hang on well into Winter. A word of caution though, the flowers smell horrible, so dont plant too close to your patio!

Sorbus Joseph Rock
A very popular variety is Joseph Rock, upright in habit with soft yellow berries, and lovely red colour to the leaves in the Autumn.

Sorbus cashmiriana

Sorbus cashmiriana has pretty white berries that last well through the Winter , another great choice for a smaller garden.Also known as the Kashmir Rowan.

Well, that is a few to choose from and if you do fancy one get deciding, it will be planting time soon.



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3 comments:

  1. Bald Eagle25 October 2013 at 11:27

    We've got two rowans in our garden, Lou - the usual red-berried one which we first grew to love while walking in the Lake District and the yellow berried Joseph Rock. The fieldfare gorge themselves on them. They do look good in the garden but are at their best in a wilder habitat, like the Lakes, Scotland and Dartmoor where there is plenty of rushing water.

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  2. LaLaLou25 October 2013 at 11:58

    You're right about them being at their best in their natural habitat. Plenty of them around Dartmoor, and the Lakes, haven't yet been to Scotland though this will change when we go there for our hols next week :) so will look out for those shiny berries - unless the fieldfares get there first!!

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  3. Unknown25 October 2013 at 13:48

    That's a real sight isn't it, when the fieldfares and redwings descend en masse to strip a Rowan.

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