Rowan
(Sorbus aucuparia)
The Rowan is also known as Mountain Ash, due to the similarity of its leaves to the (unrelated) ash, but it thrives in very different habitats. Rowan is cultivated in gardens and grows wild in woodland and on open hillsides. It is renowned for its striking clusters of red berries, which ripen in late summer to autumn, attracting a variety of birds, making it a valuable species for local wildlife including thrushes, fieldfares and redwings. Rowans can be found throughout Killearn, in gardens, on the edges of woodlands and along roadsides.
Fascinating fact:
The tree has long been believed to ward off witches and evil spirits, hence being frequently planted by entrances to dwellings, stables, barns and byres. Likewise, good luck charms of Rowan twigs were carried in pockets or worn as brooches or garlands. Similar charms were tied to cows’ tails to thwart the faeries and stirring cream with a Rowan twig was supposed to prevent cream curdling.
Rowan trees reproduce through both seeds and suckers. The red berries attract birds who help disperse the seeds. It is also capable of sprouting new shoots from its base, allowing it to spread vegetatively. Rowan trees are relatively slow-growing and can live for several decades, with some individuals reaching 50 years or more. They typically start producing fruit at around 10-15 years of age.
The berries of the Rowan are technically edible, but they are quite bitter and must be cooked before consumption. They can be used to make jelly, jam, or wine. The saplings and flexible young branches can be bent into hoops and used as tent supports. The Rowan is also famous for its hard wood, which was traditionally used for making tools, spears, and even furniture. The wood is ideally suited to make heavy duty items such as ladders, oars and (herring) barrel staves. It is also said to be second only to yew in crafting longbows. The wood can be processed into excellent charcoal.
Rowan bark has a high tannin content which was useful in tanning and was used to preserve fishing nets from rot: the berries were used as a natural mordant in dyeing.
Did you know
When it was still acceptable to ‘bake blackbirds in a pie’, Rowan berries were used as bait to lure the songbirds into traps!
The name Rowan comes from old English variants for red-haired or rusty (eg roan etc).
Other species of the Sorbus genus, such as the Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) and the Service Tree (Sorbus domestica), share similar characteristics.