# Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

> A small tree to about 15 m with feathery leaves, creamy spring flowers and heavy bunches of red berries that thrushes, waxwings and blackbirds strip in autumn. It tolerates altitude and exposure better than almost any other British native and fits easily into a small garden or street verge. One of the most widely planted native trees in UK and Irish towns.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/sorbus-aucuparia · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Mountain ash
- Family: Rosaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 12 m; spread 7 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 150 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 6
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Most soils including thin, acidic upland ground; needs reasonable drainage
- Native range: Native across Europe including Iceland, Britain and Ireland, east through Russia to Siberia and the Caucasus, and in the mountains of North Africa and Asia Minor.

**Benefits:** Wildlife, Birds, Pollinators, Flowers, Fall color, Fits small spaces

**Good for:** Small yard, Street tree, parks, Hedgerow, Reforestation

**Watch out for:** Messy fruit

## Care

Plant in autumn; water in dry spells for the first two years. Little pruning is needed; remove damaged wood in winter. Fireblight, silver leaf and European mountain ash ringspot virus can affect it, and deer browse young trees. Lifespan is up to about 200 years but garden trees are often shorter-lived.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Germany; United Kingdom (Most common in the north and west; widely planted as a street tree); Ireland; Iceland; Norway
- **Adapted:** New Zealand (Introduced per WCVP)

## Sources

- https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/rowan/
- https://www.gbif.org/species/3012167
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=286370