Small, deciduous European tree
Description: Clusters of white flowers in late spring followed by brilliant orange-red fruits; dark green foliage turns yellow, red, and reddish purple in fall; shiny gray-brown bark
Habit: Grows 20 to 40 feet high and 15 to 25 feet wide, erect and oval shaped in youth, becoming spherical with age
Culture: Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soils
Hardiness: Cold hardy to USDA Zone 3
Origin: Europe
Attributes: Fall color, showy fruits, attracts birds
Jefferson documented

Also known as the Rowan Tree of Scotland, in reference to the bitter rowan berry fruit, this long cultivated species was first noted by Philadelphia nurseryman John Bartram in 1782. Bernard McMahon’s The American Gardener’s Calendar, 1806, included “Sorbus aucuparia, European Service, or Roane Tree” in the appendices “General Catalogue.” Thomas Jefferson planted three “Mountain ash. Sorbus Aucuparia” at Monticello in 1807. In 1870 New York writer Frank Scott admired the tree for its “beauty in autumn” with its “large, drooping clusters of bright red fruit,” which are edible to birds and other wildlife. zone3,zone4,zone5,zone6,zone7