Vilmorins Rowan

Sorbus vilmorinii Trees

Sorbus vilmorinii is a small, spreading Chinese rowan tree.
Sorbus vilmorinii trees can reach a height of about 4 metres.
Standard trees are the largest size that we deliver; you can also buy native Mountain Ash saplings here.
Browse all of our other varieties of Rowan / Mountain Ash trees for sale.

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.
Standard trees are 2 - 3.5 metres tall (on average) when they arrive; they are the most mature trees that you can buy from us. We cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.

General description of Sorbus vilmorinii trees:
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.

History & uses of Sorbus vilmorinii:
This tree 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.