Rowan/Rowberry (Sorbus aucuparia)
The common rowan, or mountain ash, which belongs to the rose family (Rosaceae), is a free-growing shrub that bears attractive fruit and is also ideal for allotment gardens, for example as a solitary plant.

Growth form
This native woody plant often has multiple trunks and can reach a height of 15 meters. Its impressive, loose crown is initially ovoid, later becoming more rounded.
leaf and flower
The white, intensely fragrant blossoms of the rowan tree bloom in May, but their blooms are short-lived. In midsummer, the tree produces large numbers of fiery red, spherical berries, which ripen between late August and October. The foliage is dark green, with autumn colors ranging from yellow to brick red.
Site requirements/care measures
The rowan tree is undemanding. It doesn't require pruning but does require a sunny to partially shaded location with fresh to moist, loose, humus-rich soil that isn't too nutrient-poor.
Special features
The fruits can be used to make a vitamin-rich, slightly sour jelly, but one should also be aware that Sorbus aucuparia is a valuable bird protection and food tree.
Recommended rowan trees
- 'Sorbus x arnoldiana'; edible, low-bitter fruits
- 'Sorbus cashmiriana'; 5-8m tall; dark pink in bud, white when open; white fruits
- 'Sorbus commixta 'Serotina'; up to 10m tall; rounded, loose crown; particularly bright red in autumn; orange-red fruits
- 'Sorbus Joseph Rock'; approximately 9 m tall; copper to purple in autumn; fruits initially slightly yellowish, later amber
TEXT: Nora Kriegs