DescriptionDelivery & Guarantee
Chinese Rowan - Sorbus aucuparia / Sorbus rehderiana
Browse all of our other Rowan trees, Whitebeam & Wild Service trees here.
An excellent variety,
Joseph Rock has smaller, lighter coloured leaves than most other Rowans, giving the tree a more open look.
The flowers come in plain clumps of creamy white.
This tree really stands out in autumn, when its leaves take turns to flush with reds, coppers and purple-brown tones.
Amongst the leaves are the maturing fruit, which are much showier than the flowers that produced them. They change from milky yellow to a rich amber colour and continue to decorate the tree well after the last leaves have fallen.
We reckon that this is one of the best ornamental trees to bear orange-yellow fruit.
Although there is some uncertainty about its origins, it is probably one form of the variable species Sorbus rehderiana, taken from the mountainous forests of the Chinese province of Yunnan in the 1930's (because of its pinnate leaf stucture, it often is classed as an aucuparia).
Joseph Rock was an Austrian explorer, though made his home in Hawaii when he wasn't exploring China, and spent over 25 years recording and studying Chinese plants, geography and language.
Sorbus Jospeh Rock will only reach about 9 metres, 30 feet high, with an upright growth habit.
Being small, fully hardy and tolerant of pollution, this is an ideal tree for a small garden, either in the city or an exposed inland area.
Planting Sorbus Jospeph Rock
Sorbus aucuparia Joseph Rock will be happy in any well drained, acidic soil type.
It doesn't like chalk or more than partial shade.
We recommend it mulching it well in late spring and, if your soil is a bit dry, giving it a weekly soaking in a very hot summer.
Sadly, this tree is susceptible to fireblight and it is worth finding out if it is a problem in your area before choosing this tree.
Wales and South England are the most common places to find it, while colder areas north of Leeds should have nothing to worry about.
Please watch our tree planting video for full planting instructions.
How Standard Trees are Measured:
All the plants in the ornamental trees section are graded as standards, which means that they are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level (basically, their trunk's waist measurement). They aren't measured by their height, which will vary.
So, a 6/8 standard has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8 centimetres and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10 centimetres around.
This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height. Most standards are between 2 - 3.5 metres tall, but this is just an average. We cannot tell you how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Delivery: Any order with a standard sized tree in it has a basic delivery charge of £12.55 + vat.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.
Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.
Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.
Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted trees must be watered in dry weather while they are establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.
Our nursery has been supplying large ornamental trees to gardeners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying specimen trees online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.
Your 12 Month Guarantee
If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for
the delivery of the replacements.
Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!
Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round
Advantages of Bare-root plants:
You pay less for the same size plants.
You can carry and plan them easily.
You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after
planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.
You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.
They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.
They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.
Advantages of Pot Grown plants:
Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.
Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.
Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.
Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout.
This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.
If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50
Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.
If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.
If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.
If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.
If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.
