Rowan

Rowan is primarily valued as an ornamental and wildlife tree, but the berries are perfectly edible once cooked — raw berries contain parasorbic acid which causes stomach upset. Trees begin bearing their vivid orange-red berry clusters around year four. Rowan jelly, made with crab apples, is a classic accompaniment to game and lamb. Selected cultivars like Edulis have larger, sweeter berries. Extremely hardy and wind-tolerant, rowan thrives in exposed upland sites where other fruit trees would struggle. Self-fertile and largely trouble-free.