Sorbus aucuparia
Rowan
How do you recognise rowan?
The leaf divides into several narrow serrated leaflets with an odd one at the tip. The flowers are small, white, and strongly scented, forming a cluster 8–10 cm across. The berry is red when ripe.
What is it confused with?
Bird cherry has a simple, undivided leaf and carries its flowers in a long raceme. Rowan is told at once by its many paired leaflets.
Where does rowan grow, and when does it flower?
Rowan is very common throughout the country, in forests, forest edges, yards, and roadsides. It flowers in June, in Lapland in July, and the berries ripen in late July or August.
Can you collect it for a herbarium?
Rowan is very common, and one whole compound leaf is enough. Careful. Do not taste this plant.
Did you know?
The flowers have a sharp smell that draws flies as pollinators. The berry crop varies a great deal from year to year, and a good rowan year shows in the number of birds that winter here.
Where does rowan grow in Finland?
The map shows where the species has been recorded. Darker squares mean more observations.
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Observations: GBIF · Map: CARTO, OpenStreetMap
Sources: fi.wikipedia.org
Identify plants with your phone
Linnea identifies a plant from a photo and tells you its name and its story. Every find takes its own numbered place in your herbarium, with the day and the town where you found it.
