DescriptionDelivery & Guarantee
Chinese Mountain Ash / Chinese Rowan - Sorbus vilmorinii
Browse all of our other Rowan trees, Whitebeam & Wild Service trees here.
A small, fully hardy tree that is easily kept as a tall shrub, Sorbus vilmorinii has bags of ornamental value and is one of the most delicate and graceful Rowans. The foliage consists of long fronds of opposing leaflets that spread out as though they are investigating their surroundings, twitching in the lightest breeze. In spring, large clusters of white flowers rise up from the base of the leaves - these are smaller than those of other types of Rowan but they more than make up for it by appearing in such dense numbers that they seem to froth out of the tree. When autumn comes, the leaves go out in a jumble of rich, deep reds and purples that help show off the bold colours of the plentiful berries, which will reward your admiration by slowly changing colour from maroon to rosy white, stopping at shell pink on the way. Like its relatives, it is pollution resistant and a great choice if you live in the middle of the city.
Sorbus vilmorinii was introduced to Europe in about 1890 by either Abbot Delavay or Father Armand David, two French missionaries who spent long careers in China. They worked at the same time and were both prolific plant collectors - it seems that both men were too modest to ensure that they were remembered as the one who discovered this beautiful plant. This Rowan tree was discovered on the north side of the mountain ranges that mark the border between Kashmir and China.
Planting Sorbus vilmorinii:
Sorbus vilmorinii is used to mountain conditons - regular rainfall keeping the soil moist even though the drainage is very good and lots of sun. It likes an acidic soil and won't grow well on chalk. It is very hardy and will still put on a great show if you plant it in a frosty area, as long as it gets enough light. This is a spreading tree that won't reach more than about 6 metres, 18 feet, tall.
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.
