Rowan Trees: Uses, Traditions and Facts About the Mountain Ash

The rowan tree, also known as the mountain ash, is a common sight in gardens with its bright scarlet berries and yellow or red leaves in autumn. Though it has been adopted as an ornamental tree, the rowan is a key part of some of Europe’s oldest native woodlands and is associated with many ancient traditions and superstitions.

Some Facts About the Rowan Tree

The rowan tree (Latin name Sorbus acuparia) is one of 85 different species of the genus Sorbus and is one of the most widespread, being found throughout Europe and Asia Minor. Known also as mountain ash and quickbeam, the rowan occurs over a wide area, being tolerant of a range of different soil and climate types – so much so that it is often found in hostile climates, growing on thin and rocky soils.

With its pinnate leaves (each leaf comprising an odd number of small leaves growing from a central stem) the rowan is easily recognised. In spring it produces clusters of small white flowers: by September these turn to the scarlet berries for which the tree is so well known. Rowans are also valued for the bright colours of their leaves in autumn, making them a key ornamental plant in many gardens.

The rowan grows up to around 15m in height (though it is often much smaller) and is a key species in many natural and ancient pine and birch woodlands across Europe, especially in the remnants of the Caledonian pine forest in Scotland. Here it provides food for birds and also for animals such as deer and mountain hare. It grows at altitude and is found up to heights of almost 1000 metres.

Uses of the Rowan Tree

Rowan wood is noted for its hardness and so has always been useful to human settlers. It was traditionally used for spinning wheels and tool handles, and latterly has been popular for making walking sticks. Its bark and berries were used for dying cloth (according to Trees For Life, particularly by the druids) and its association with magic may have led to its use for dowsing or divining rods.

The tree was also widely used in folk remedies, considered to have antiseptic properties and used both internally and externally. Although the berries contain parasorbic acid and can cause an upset stomach when raw, they are edible when cooked and provide the basis for many traditional recipes still made today, such as rowan jelly or a range of wines.

Superstition and Traditions About the Rowan Tree

Across its range and across the history of human settlement there, rowan has been revered by different cultures. It is associated with magic, especially but not exclusively in Scotland: many traditions ascribe it a protective power against witchcraft, and the trees were traditionally plated outside a house to offer protection against witchcraft (a practice which still continues in many areas).

Rowans appear in Greek mythology, in which they sprang from the blood of an eagle, and in the Norse tradition, where the tree is said to have saved the god Thor from being swept away by a swollen river. In Celtic tradition it is linked to St Brigid and to the druids and also has associations with the tree of life.

The manageable size and delicate shape of the rowan, along with its bright berries and colourful autumn leaves, make it a popular tree in urban gardens alongside some of its more exotic Asian cousins. Yet it continues to play a significant role in the upland ecology of mountainous areas across Europe, providing food for birds and animals.

Sources and Further Information

Fred Hageneder The Living Wisdom of Trees Duncan Baird Publishers 2005

Nick Kempe and Mark Wrigtham (eds) Hostile Habitats: Scotland’s Mountain Environments Scottish Mountaineering Trust 2006

Trees For Life ‚”Mythology and Folklore of the Rowan”

Trees For Life ‚”Species Profile: Rowan”