Rowan

Rudha-an
Latin name: Sorbus aucuparia

Rowan trees usually only grow to between ten and twenty metres high, which is quite small when compared to the Oak tree that can grow up to forty metres high!

They are deciduous trees, with smooth barks and long, elegant leaflets that grow either side of the stem. From April to June, creamy-coloured blossoms appear on the Rowan tree.

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

The rowan tree produces red berries in the autumn. These are soft and juicy, and a great source of food for birds. The leaves also turn a reddish colour before they are shed. In fact, the red colour of the leaves gives the Rowan tree its name in Irish. ‘Rudha-an’ literally means ‘the red one’.

The original name for the rowan tree comes from the Old Norse name for a tree, ‘raun’. It is also known as mountain ash, because the leaves of the ash trees are very similar to those on a rowan tree. However, the trees are not related at all!