Rowan tree (Sorbus Rosaceae)

- Pros: Pretty tree and fruits; can make jam w/berries; provides deep shade.
- Cons: Flowers smell like cat pee, odor travels; fruit tastes bitter; makes a mess.

The species and varieties of Rowan tree are so copious that I am mainly giving information about the N. American trees. Also known as the mountain ash, native to the mountain regions of the northern hemisphere. Most species are small deciduous trees 10-20ft tall. The Sorbus (Sorbus) is a North American native species, of which this one is probably an example. Rowans have a multitude of species, subspecies and hybrids, The British Isles have a multitude of their own, but the largest number of Sorbus species is in Asia.

Rowan fruit contains sorbic acid, and when raw also contains parasorbic acid (about 0.4%-0.7% in the European rowan[15]), which causes indigestion and can lead to kidney damage,* but heat treatment (cooking, heat-drying etc.) and, to a lesser extent, freezing, renders it nontoxic by changing it to the benign sorbic acid. They are also usually too astringent to be palatable when raw. Collecting them after first frost (or putting in the freezer) cuts down on the bitter taste as well. [Source of all information is Wikipedia, Eng.]

*My grandson and I tried a few berries several years and spit them out immediately. This is a good protection against kidney damage for those of us who only know they can be made into jelly (heat treated!).