Rowan Trees

If you love wildlife in your garden, a rowan is a must. With springtime blossom clouds for the bees and brightly-coloured berries for hungry birds, it’s second only to the oak in the number of species it supports, and takes up less space. Raised by experts in the field (literally), our UK-grown rowans are hardy and will brighten up your garden for decades.

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Roots' Cotswolds Valley Nursery

Meet Mike

Tree-growing skills honed right across the globe

Having started out in Australia, studied in Northern Ireland and volunteered at an organic farm in Sweden, it’s fair to say Mike’s done his fair share of travel on his horticultural journey, so far! Having happily laid down roots here at Roots, Mike is the don behind our tree-growing operation, imparting each and every one of his globally-honed skills to benefit your garden. Grown in our purpose-built nursery, in the ideal climatic conditions of the fertile Vale of Evesham, we’re proud to supply only the happiest, healthiest and hardiest trees.

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Which rowan tree is best for your garden?

Which rowan tree is best for your garden?

Rowan trees are naturally compact and can be pruned to suit any size of garden. If you have the space, go all out with a mountain ash or 'Vilmorinii'. For smaller gardens we recommend a neat and compact 'Pink Pagoda' or 'Copper Kettle'. The colour of rowan berries varies from yellows ('Joseph Rock') through pinks to deep autumnal reds (Japanese rowan, whitebeam). Although some rowans can grow to around 6m, other varieties need much less space, making them a solid choice for any wildlife lover’s garden. Find the best rowan for your garden with our growers’ guide.

What grows well with rowan trees?

What grows well with rowan trees?

Rowan trees partner well with other UK native species, including birches and willows, and can be underplanted with shade-tolerant perennials or shrubs for a natural woodland look. If you don’t have space for a rowan tree, a crabapple has wildlife appeal in spades and can even be grown in a pot. You can also grow rowans as a hedge, which does the same job as well as sheltering your garden from wind, noise and pollution.

Growers' tips for rowan trees

Growers' tips for rowan trees

Rowan trees do best in fertile, well drained soils - they don’t thrive in clay or waterlogged soil, but any other kind is fine. You’ll get the best flowers and berries if your tree gets at least six hours of sunlight daily, but it will also be fine with a bit of light shade. Your rowan tree needs regular watering for its first year, but after that you’ll only need to water it during hot, dry weather. Feeding isn’t necessary, but mulching once a year will help to top up the soil’s natural nutrients. When your tree is young, you may want to prune it to improve the shape of the developing crown. After that, you can leave it to its own devices unless you need to restrict its size. If you do need to prune, this should be done in autumn or early winter.

Rowan Tree FAQs

Where do rowan trees grow?

Natively, rowans are found across the UK (particularly the north of England and Scotland), Europe and China. They favour cooler climates and high altitudes, which gave rise to the common name ‘Mountain Ash’.

How fast do rowan trees grow?

Rowan is a fast-growing pioneer tree, meaning that its seeds, distributed by birds, grow quickly to colonise open ground. It grows about 20-40cm per year.

Are rowan trees evergreen?

Rowan trees are not evergreen - they lose their leaves in winter and grow fresh foliage each spring.

When do rowan berries appear?

Rowan berries appear shortly after flowering in late spring, grow over the summer and then ripen in late summer/early autumn.

Are mountain ash berries poisonous?

Rowan berries are not technically poisonous (and certainly not for birds, who gobble them down by the bucket load), but they can cause stomach ache and diarrhoea for humans when eaten raw. When cooked, they can be made into jams.

What does a rowan tree look like?

Rowan trees grow into the traditional, picture book tree shape - rounded and compact. The leaves are interesting, with five to eight pairs of serrated leaflets down each side and a final leaflet on the end giving a feathered look. They’re green through spring and summer, before turning orange in autumn. In the autumn and winter, rowan trees are coated in bright, usually red, berries.

How big do rowan trees grow?

A mature rowan can grow upwards of 15m tall in the wild, but they can be pruned to fit any size of garden and thrive as compact trees at 4-8m.

Can rowan trees be grown in pots?

Rowan trees aren’t the best species to grow in pots as they naturally grow to a large size. They are, however, quite tolerant, so you can give pot-growing a go. Just make sure to feed and water your tree regularly, repot to a larger container every few years and prune the tree to maintain a manageable height.

How long do rowan trees live?

In favourable conditions, a rowan tree can live up to 200 years.

How do you take care of a rowan tree?

Rowans are low-maintenance trees; once they’re settled in, they only need a bit of watering in very dry weather and a bit of mulch round the base once a year. New shoots may appear around the base - you can cut these off if you wish to keep a single stemmed tree. Over winter, you can prune off any dead or damaged stems.

Where is the rowan tree native to?

Rowan is native to the UK and other cooler countries in the northern hemisphere.

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