Tree
Rowan
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in May | Flowers in June | ||||||||||
| Plant | Plant in January | Plant in February | Plant in March | Plant in November | Plant in December | |||||||
| Prune | Prune in January | Prune in February | Prune in December | |||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in May | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October |
Overview
Sorbus aucuparia is a slender native tree of upland woods and hillsides, at home from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands. It has feathery leaves made up of many small leaflets, flat heads of creamy flowers in late spring and heavy bunches of orange-red berries from late summer. In Scotland and Ireland it was traditionally planted near houses for protection. For different berry colours, look at Sorbus 'Joseph Rock' with yellow fruit, S. vilmorinii with pink, or S. cashmiriana with white. 'Sheerwater Seedling' is a narrow, upright form for tight spaces.
Where to grow rowan
Rowan's open crown casts only light shade, so it suits small gardens and lets you plant beneath it. It prefers light, neutral to acid soil and cool, moist conditions, and is very wind-tolerant; it is less happy on shallow chalk or in hot, dry spots. Avoid planting where berries will drop on a patio.
Planting
Bare-root trees planted between November and March are inexpensive and establish fast. Set the tree at its original depth, firm in, and add a short stake low on the trunk on windy sites. Keep a metre-wide circle around it free of grass for the first few years.
Care through the year
Spring
Mulch the base and check ties so they are not cutting into the bark.
Summer
Water young trees thoroughly once a week in dry weather for their first two summers.
Autumn
Watch for the berries disappearing; in some winters waxwings arrive to feed.
Winter
Remove the stake after two or three years once the tree is firmly rooted.
Pruning
Rowan needs little pruning. In winter, while dormant, remove dead or crossing branches and any shoots growing from the base of the trunk. Avoid hard cuts, which heal slowly.
Propagation
Seed needs a cold spell to germinate. Clean the flesh off ripe berries and sow the seeds outdoors in a pot in autumn; some will come up the next spring and others the spring after.
Common problems
Fireblight, a bacterial disease of the rose family, can blacken shoots so they look scorched; cut out affected wood well below the damage and disinfect tools. Aphids, rust and silver leaf may also appear but rarely threaten the tree.
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in January, February, March, November and December. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.