Rowan – Sorbus aucuparia

Sorbus aucuparia

The mountain ash or rowan, Sorbus aucuparia, is a native European tree, especially in high altitudes where its robust hardiness ensures its survival. Once credited with magical powers and often planted near dwellings as an insurance against misfortune, it’s now widely planted in gardens, both as the species and in its many varieties.

Sorbus aucuparia tolerates a wide range of soils and sites, regularly producing huge crops of bright red berries in dense pendent bunches, which attract birds of all kinds. It succeeds particularly well in urban gardens, and also when planted closely as a screen or informal large hedge. Grow  in a fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.