Rowan - which is best?
The Bird Lady
Posts: 188
in Plants
I want to replace an old dead Cherry Tree stump with a Rowan so that the birds can have the berries. I don't want an enormous great tree, is there a more compact version? Red berries are preferable. We are on the South coast.
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If the soil's on the acid side, great, but they're pretty tolerant of most soil types. I'd go for ordinary sorbus aucuparia, common rowan. We had this discussion a few weeks back and the other varieties, although each pretty for foliage or berry colour, can't match the native species for reliability - hardiness and berry.
H-C
We're on chalk down here.
Thanks for your response.
I find they are not very good on heavy clay; the roots don't like it that wet, IMO.
Go for red berries which are preferred by birds.
I'm beginning to think I need something else - Rowan's can grow quite large and I just want something that it quite compact. More research needed!
I think that would be wise. Not happiest on chalk.
In the sticks near Peterborough
There's a list of trees suited to chalk on this page which may help you in your research:
http://www.frankpmatthews.com/advice/yourperfecttree/trees_for_chalk_soils
Rowan eventually get big but are actually fairly slow growing. What about a crab apple, not too big, maybe 5m x 4m and plenty of fruit for the birds. If you are really really lucky you could even get Waxwings. Another possibility could be Amelanchier.
If you still want a Rowan, you need look no further than Sorbus vilmorinii, as a very small tree for your purposes. It will grow on chalk. Despite the description here on this link, I didn't find it hard to grow. I had it on clay, full sun on the south coast, where a silver birch had grown previously. It will never outgrow its welcome or get in yours or anyone else's way...
https://www.chewvalleytrees.co.uk/products/detail/sorbus-vilmorinii/1
BobtheGardener - Thanks for the link, very interesting.
Marlorena - Thank you very much for that - do the birds eat the berries?