Sorbus aucuparia
Origin: Ukraine
Improvement status: Unknown
Seeds per packet: ~100
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
European Rowans are iconic berry-producing trees native from Iceland to the Caucasus and across much of central Asia all the way to China. The trees have deep cultural meaning to various peoples. Highly acidic bright-red rowan berries, born in large clusters, are basically inedible until after the first freeze (like persimmons and medlars), at which point they begin to become palatable for raw eating or cooking. Berries can be made into pies, jams, syrups, or alcohol, among other preparations — though it's recommended that seeds be removed due to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides (like apple seeds).
Rowan trees are common across the northern hemisphere — there are between 100 and 200 Sorbus species out there, depending who you ask. They can also be readily hybridized with some other pome fruit trees in the rose family, including juneberries, aronia, apples, cotoneasters, and pears! (The 'Shipova' pear is a cross between a European pear and a rowan called Sorbus aria.)
In northern Europe, rowan trees have long been associated with magic, believed to ward off evil spirits or curses. As such, its fine-grained hard wood is often used for objects both ceremonial (like wands and scepters) and mundane (like farm tools and fence posts), and the trees have often been planted by front doors and gates to offer protection. It supposedly helps travelers from from getting lost, and some still believe a heavy or light crop can predict the coming winter's weather. A rowan tree growing out of a crotch on a larger tree, such as an oak, is known as a "flying rowan" and is considered particularly powerful against black magic or sorcery.
Medicinal uses are myriad, according to Plants for a Future: "The bark is astringent, it is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and as a vaginal injection for leucorrhoea [excessive vaginal discharge] etc. The fruit is antiscorbutic (prevents scurvy) and astringent. It is normally used as a jam or an infusion to treat diarrhoea and hemorrhoids. An infusion can also be used as a gargle for sore throats and as a wash to treat haemorrhoids and excessive vaginal discharge. The seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides which, in reaction with water, produce the extremely toxic prussic acid. In small quantities this acts as a stimulant to the respiratory system but in larger doses can cause respiratory failure and death. It is therefore best to remove the seeds when using the fruit medicinally or as a food. Both the flowers and the fruit are aperient [relieve constipation], mildly diuretic, laxative and emmenagogue [encourage menstrual flow]. An infusion is used in the treatment of painful menstruation, constipation and kidney disorders."
Our Ukraine-grown seed was imported by the good folks at Sheffield's Seed in Locke, NY.
GROWING TIPS: Fall-sowing outdoors in a container can work, but isn't always reliable. Our seed source recommends a long stratification process: 6 months of cold-moist stratification (fridge), followed by 2-4 weeks warm-moist (room temp), followed by another 3-4 months of cold-moist. Other sources just recommend the 2-4 weeks warm-moist followed by 14-16 weeks cold-moist. We've had success with a simple 60-day stratification, but that might have been beginner's luck. Even properly treated seeds may take up to 2 or even 3 years to germinate. The tree thrives in a variety of soils, including heavy clay, chalk, and acidic peat, preferring cool, moist conditions but tolerating some shade, though it will fruit better in full sun. Highly wind-resistant, it withstands maritime exposure and atmospheric pollution, making it suitable for shelterbelt plantings and as a street tree.
