Rowan

Rudha-an
Latin name: Sorbus aucuparia

Rowan trees usually only grow to between 10 and 20 metres high.

They are deciduous trees.

Rowan trees have smooth bark. Long leaves grow from each side of the stem. From April to June, creamy-coloured blossoms grow on the rowan tree.
 

The Rowan tree is also known as the Mountain Ash
Copyright Mike Brown

Red berries grow on the rowan tree in the autumn. These are soft and juicy - birds love them!

The leaves turn a red colour before they fall from the tree. In fact, the red colour of the leaves gives the Rowan tree its name in Irish. ‘Rudha-an’ means ‘the red one’.

The name for the rowan tree comes from Old Norse. The Old Norse name for a tree was ‘raun’.

Some people call the rowan 'mountain ash'. This is because the leaves of the ash tree and rowan are very alike. However, the trees are not related at all!