Rowan

Rosaceae / Sorbus aucuparia – Rowan, mountain ash

Rowans are relatively small trees – they invest most of their energy in producing plentiful clusters of red fruit that are the favorite food of many birds. The clusters are so big indeed, that the tree’s branches are heavily weighed down, which makes the tree grow wide instead of high.

It’s also called mountain ash – and its leaves do resemble those of ash trees, but the two are not closely related, they are two completely different trees that evolved the same leaf shape. A close look at the fruit reveals that they look just like tiny apples, as is common for many species in the Rose family.

Rowan trees grow in the temperate and colder climate zones all across Eurasia.