Identification Features

• Bark: Silvery and very smooth other than horizontal bands of lenticels. Bark typically dulls in colour and sheen in older trees but scarcely rugged. 
• Twigs: Shoots green and hairy at first. Twigs grey, hairless and shiny. 
• Buds: Quite dull and unimpressive. Dark grey, sometimes with a tinge of purple. Covered in greyish-white hairs. Roughly egg-shaped with a more pointed, conical tip.

Description/General Character:
A small to medium sized tree with a straight, clean trunk. A fairly open and uncluttered top with branches pointing cleanly upwards. Hardy.

Range:
Native over a large area of Europe, including the far north. East to Turkey and the Caucasus. North Africa from the Atlas mountains northwards.

Habitat:
Woodland and open country, provided it’s not too wet. Rowan will grow higher up hillsides than many species, hence the “mountain ash” moniker.

Other Observations:
Fruits can persist after the leaves have fallen, although a few leaves can sometimes remain. Going into autumn/winter, leaves typically turn yellow and then a dull brown but can show startling reds.