August

Rowan

Strong, supple, magical and valuable to wildlife

It’s been a dry year, which has had lots of effects; it has made it a stressful harvest – adding to other existing pressures in farming. I have noticed wildflowers coming and going very quickly due to the lack of water, and wildlife congregating around any available water like a scene out of Africa when animals collect at a shallow watering hole.

Because of this, I have been filling my bird bath regularly and created a few puddles (before the hosepipe ban!) in farmyards while going around the farms doing butterfly surveys, just to give nature a helping hand. The soil is baked and the grass is scorched, so the usual summer palette is somewhat brown, but the rowan tree in my garden is coming into its own with bunches of bright red berries, hanging like clusters of baubles months before Christmas! So, to add a bit of colour to this month, we will focus on the rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia).

I have always been fond of a rowan tree, I have fond memories of picnicking under a specific tree in the New Forest with my grandparents, the stories of protection and magic, but mainly because my sister is called Rowan!

Where to see a rowan tree

The rowan tree is native to cooler regions of the northern hemisphere and found across the UK, but is most common in the north and west. This species is one of our most hardy native broadleaves, which can be found higher up mountains than most of our other native trees, hence it is often called the mountain ash, although it is no relation to the ash tree.

It is commonly found growing wild in the Highlands of Scotland at elevations of almost 1,000 metres, the North of England, Wales, and the South West, and often found growing in inaccessible locations like cliffs, steep stream-sides and on top of large boulders. However, these are not the preferred locations for the species – it’s just that these are the only places where it has been able to grow out of reach of herbivores like deer and sheep. But the rowan is also a widely planted tree of the street, garden and park, due to its delicate beauty all year round.

Phenology

To me, the rowan tree is a gentle sign of the seasons, as I know spring is here when tree bursts with heavily scented cream/white-domes of flowers – like popping champagne bottles all over the canopy – and the berries turn orange-red at around harvest time, ready to feed the migrant birds. In autumn the leaves (11-15 toothed leaflets, perfectly symmetrical) turn red, before laying bare in winter, showing its smooth purple or grey-brown bark.

Did you know?

• This beautiful tree has a lifespan of around 120 years.
• It has strong, flexible wood and was traditionally used for making tool handles and longbows.
• In the past the berries were used to make a drink to combat scurvy due to being high in vitamin C.
• A rowan tree can reach 15 metres tall.

Wildlife value

The rowan has an important role in increasing biodiversity to woodlands and the places they are planted. This tree is one that just keeps giving…

The berries are a valuable food source to a great number of birds (blackbird, mistle thrush, redstart, redwing, song thrush, fieldfare). One of the most amazing things I have seen was a rowan tree absolutely covered in waxwings in the middle of an industrial estate just outside of Southampton – that was quite a spectacle to see and has been a burnt into my memory! It is not only birds that like the fruit, but the berries are also eaten by the apple fruit moth.

A number of other moths feed on the leaves, including the larger Welsh wave and autumn green carpet, and the flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees and other insects.

For us, the rowan berries make a good jelly to go with venison, which in turn aids the tree from browsing pressure too!

Mythology and symbolism

The rowan tree has a long, sacred history. Since ancient times people have been planting a rowan beside their home, as in Celtic mythology it’s known as the Tree of Life and symbolises courage, wisdom and protection.

The rowan was once widely planted by houses as a protection against witches – maybe that’s we haven’t had any at our door! In Ireland, it was planted near houses to protect them against spirits, and in Wales rowan trees were planted in churchyards. But be careful in Scotland, as cutting down a rowan was considered taboo!

The wood was used for stirring milk to prevent the milk curdling, and as a pocket charm against rheumatism. It was also used to make divining rods.

But my favourite is the myth that tells that the goddess Hebe, who lost her chalice of youth and an eagle fought to recover the cup to return it to her. But wherever the bird shed a drop of blood or feather, up sprang a Rowan tree.

It’s been a long one this month, but I think we can all agree that a rowan tree is a thing of beauty and bounty, plus a little bit of magic, so take heed from the Scots!