Eeno11 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rowan
Tree·Sorbus aucuparia
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Well-drained soil
Drainage
Zones 3–7
Hardiness
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) is a tree. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs. It grows well with silver birch.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruitingDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataWHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Needs well-drained soil
Prefers soil pH 5.5–7.5
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Prefers loam, sandy loam, clay loam soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up potassium, calcium from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (medium)
Gives fruit (food for wildlife and humans)
Provides potassium
Provides calcium
Attracts birds
Attracts pollinators
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Sub-canopy tree
Height800–1500 cm
Spacing600 cm (min 400 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width400–800 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed, grafting, cuttings
Difficulty
Establishes in about 2 yr
Self-seeds a little on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Eeno11 · CC BY-SA 3.0