Rowan
Rowan
Tree
A hardy little tree, at home high on the mountainside, that blazes with clusters of scarlet berries loved by thrushes and blackbirds in autumn.
💡 Fun Facts
- Rowan is also called the 'mountain ash' because it can grow higher up a mountainside than almost any other tree.
- In late summer it is loaded with clusters of brilliant scarlet berries that birds absolutely love.
- Blackbirds, fieldfares and redwings gobble the berries, then fly off and 'plant' the seeds in their droppings.
📅 Through the Year
- Leaf-out:April
- Flowering:May to June
- Fruiting:August to September
- Leaf fall:October
Name Story
Sorbus aucuparia
means “the bird-catcher’s service-tree”
What does its name mean?
- Sorbus — service-treeLatin sorbus ‘service-tree’
- aucuparia — for catching birdsLatin avis ‘bird’ + capere ‘to catch’ (aucupari ‘to go fowling’)
Its bright berries are so beloved by birds that people once used them as bait to catch them — and that bird-catching is written straight into the tree’s name.