The genus Sorbus contains the Rowans or Mountain Ash trees, and the closely-related Whitebeams. All are fairly small upright trees, usually less than 5m high after 10 years, and suitable for most situations.
Given their versatility and compact size, the main criteria for choosing a rowan or whitebeam comes down to the colour of the fruit clusters. However leaf colours and shape / form are also worth considering.
Rowan trees with red berries
These include the common Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and forms with slightly larger berries such as Asplenifolia and Gibbsii.
List of rowan trees with red berries
Rowan trees with yellow or golden berries
The brightest yellow berries can be found on Wisley Gold and Autumn Spire, while Amber Light and Copper Kettle have dull golden hues, and Joseph Rock has pale lemon-yellow berries.
List of rowan trees with yellow or golden berries
Rowan trees with pink berries
These rowans have berries that change from white to pink, or from pink to white as autumn progresses. Pink Charm has perhaps the deepest pink berries, but Pink Ness, Leonard Messel and Glendoick Spire are also very attractive.
List of rowan trees with pink berries
Rowan trees with white berries
Some of these start out with purple or dark berries, which fade to white in the autumn as the leaves start to fall. Glendoick White Baby is the obvious choice, but look out for the species Sorbus cashmiriana and Sorbus pseudovilmorinii.
List of rowan trees with white berries
Rowans with interesting summer leaf colours
This is where the Whitebeams score over the Rowans, their summer leaves have blue and grey hues which are more interesting than the plain greens of the Rowans.
List of rowan or whitebeam trees with interesting summer leaf colours
Rowans with strong autumn leaf colours
Most rowans and whitebeams show some autumn leaf colour but these ones are particularly noteworthy.
Golden orange red
Rowan trees with golden / orange / red autumn leaf colours
Bronze or purple
Rowan trees with bronze / purple autumn leaf colours
General autumnal tints
Rowan trees with good autumnal leaf colours
Rowan trees with a columnar form
Many rowans have a naturally upright habit, but there are several fastigiate (columnar) forms, which produce a striking effect whether planted singly or in groups. These include Autumn Spire (yellow berries), Fingerprint (red berries) and Glendoick Spire (pink berries).
Rowan trees which grow with a columnar form
Our recommendations
If you still can't decide, here are some rowans and whitebeams that we particularly like. We think these are good trees which offer something more than the sum of their parts.
The Common Rowan
The traditional hardy Mountain Ash, with its slender upright form, autumn leaf colours, and bright red berries. A good choice for poor soils or difficult climates.
Joseph Rock
Ticks all the boxes for a small garden tree - a compact, pleasing appearance, easy to grow, pretty yellow berries, and one of the best rowans for autumn colour.
Lutescens
The definitive whitebeam, with beautiful grey-green leaves which take on russet hues in the autumn, contrasting with orange berries. Makes a good specimen tree for the larger garden.
Olympic Flame
A small rowan, aptly named for its intense orange / red autumn leaf colours and bright red fruitlets.
Pink Pagoda
This is one of the best of the pink-fruited rowans, the fruitlets are pink over the summer, fading to a delicate white as winter arrives