European Mountain Ash (Sorbus acuparia)

Also known as Rowan Tree, this beautiful, hardy tree is native from Europe through western Asia and Siberia. The edible berries are not great eaten fresh, but are good juiced or cooked into jams. Very high in vitamin C, it was a preventative for scurvy in days of old. It is said that the berries are a tonic for the vocal chords and that gargling with the juice keeps them smooth and supple. Grows 20 to 40 feet tall and about 20 feet wide. It has showy clusters of creamy white flowers in the spring that turn to big bunches of orange red berries in the fall that hang for a long time if not picked. Relished by the birds after winter frosts soften them. Excellent fall color. A member of the Rosaceae family it is a relative of pears and hawthorn, which it has hybridized with. Sacred to the ancient Druids it was considered a magical tree of life, protecting against evil influences and a conductor of spiritual energies. 3+ feet tall in large band pots. Hardy zones 3-8. Our European Mountain Ash are grown in 4x10" pots.