How to plant and care for Rowan (Mountain Ash)

Sorbus aucuparia

🌳 Tree 🔁 Perennial

A light, airy native tree with white spring flowers, ferny leaves that turn fiery in autumn and heavy clusters of scarlet berries that birds flock to.

When to plant and care for it

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Flowers

Prune

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Growing Rowan (Mountain Ash): what it needs

Light: Full sun · 6+ hours a day
Watering: Water weekly in dry spells for the first two summers
Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil · pH 6.0–7.0
Spacing: 4 m
Height: 8 m
In pots: Best in the ground
Feeding: No feeding needed
Hardiness: USDA zones 4–7

Step by step

On planting day
Plant the Tree
Plant at the same depth it grew in its pot, in a hole twice as wide as the root ball, 4 m from other trees. Firm and water well.
0–1 days after “Plant the Tree”
Stake and Tie
Drive a short stake in on the windward side and fix it with a soft tree tie. Loosen the tie each spring so it never cuts into the bark.
0–2 days after “Stake and Tie”
Water In Deeply
Soak the root area with a full can, then keep the soil moist (not wet) for the first few weeks.
7–21 days after “Water In Deeply”
Mulch the Base
Spread 5–8 cm of compost or bark mulch in a 1 m circle, keeping it clear of the trunk.

Every year

January
Winter Check
Prune only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while dormant.
May
In Flower
White flower clusters.
October
Berries and Autumn Colour
Glowing berries and leaves — take a photo.