Rowan Trees
If you love watching the wildlife in your garden, a rowan tree is a must. With clouds of blossom in spring for the bees and brightly coloured berries for hungry birds, it’s second only to the English Oak in the number of species it supports, and takes up much less space. Raised by experts in the field (literally), our UK grown rowans are fully hardy and will brighten up your garden for decades. They’re also pollution tolerant and were reputed in folklore to repel evil, so whether there’s black magic or carbon monoxide in the neighbourhood, rowan trees have you covered!
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 rowans?
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
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.
UK native tree with wildlife appeal and colour in every season
- Superb wildlife friendly native tree with shiny red berries for the birds
- Compact tree with spectacular autumn colour
- Spring flowers attract early pollinators to your garden
- Pollution tolerant and suitable for all garden sizes
The perfect choice to add a splash of pink to your garden
- Beautiful pink blushed berries
- Enchantingly beautiful colours for each season
- Aids native wildlife & bees
- Compact size - 4x4m
The perfect choice to add a splash of pink to your garden
- Wonderful pink berries
- Provides all-year round interest to your garden
- Aids native wildlife & bees
- Compact size - 7x6m
The perfect choice to add a splash of yellow to your garden
- Beautiful yellow berries
- Vibrant red autumn foliage
- Tolerant of pollution
- Compact size - 7x4m
A spectacular display of silvery-grey
- Distinctive, light green foliage
- Adds winter interest to your garden
- Creamy white flowers in Spring
- Compact size - 6x4m
Colour throughout the seasons
- A beautiful, small, upright Mountain Ash
- Purple, red and orange foliage lights up autumn
- Clusters of creamy white flowers blossom in spring
- Attracts birds to your garden
A native hedge with year-round colour
- White flowers and vibrant autumn foliage
- A great choice for a mixed hedge
- Average growth rate - expect 20-40cm per year
- Grows to 5m, easily maintained at 1-4m
Graceful tree for smaller spaces
- Ivory white flowers in May and early June
- Clusters of fiery orange berries for the birds
- Distinctive fern-like pinnate leaves
- Neat form grows to 10 x 4m
Award winning rowan with rose coloured berries
- Some of the most beautiful berries of any rowan tree - rosy pink and irresistible to birds!
- Pinnate leaves turn purple and orange-red in autumn
- Grows to 6m but can be pruned to fit any space
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
Compact tree for wildlife appeal
- Fluffy white flowers in spring to attract bees
- Vibrant orange and red autumn colours
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
- Grows to a compact 6 x 3m
A slender native tree to attract the birds
- Dark green foliage with contrasting bright red berries in autumn and winter
- Neat growth habit makes it perfect for any size of garden
- Creamy white blossom helps out butterflies & bees
- Tolerant of pollution - ideal for city and roadside gardens
Dense and colourful wildlife friendly tree
- A compact multi stem tree, perfect for smaller gardens
- Spring blossom attracts bees and butterflies
- Garden birds love the bright red autumn berries
- Absorbs pollution
Unique copper coloured berries
- Fresh green foliage with large clusters of copper coloured berries in autumn and winter
- Ideal for smaller gardens at just 4-5m tall
- Attracts birds, bees and butterflies to your garden
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
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