Cardinal Royal Rowan Trees

• Variety: Cardinal Royal, an upright, narrow form of Rowan
• Latin name: Sorbus aucuparia Cardinal Royal ('Michred')
• Sold as: Bareroot standards (6/8 and 8/10cm girth), half-standards and 200/250cm trees, or pot-grown in a 15 litre pot
• Mature size: 8 to 12m tall and 2.5 to 4m across
• Time to full size: 20 to 50 years
• Flowers: Creamy-white, in spring
• Berries: Bright red, in big bunches
• Autumn colour: Yellow, orange and red
• Position: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil: Any well-drained soil, but not shallow chalk
• Uses: Avenues, small gardens, streets and narrow plots
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators. The berries feed birds
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Cardinal Royal is a Rowan that grows up rather than out: 8 to 12 metres tall but only 2.5 to 4 metres across, which suits an avenue or a narrow garden. It carries creamy-white flowers in spring, big bunches of bright red berries for the birds, and yellow, orange and red leaves in autumn. It is on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list.

Cardinal Royal Rowan Trees

Cardinal Royal is a cultivar of our native Rowan, distinguished mainly by their more erect branches, narrower habit, and tidier overall appearance that is better suited to avenues or small gardens.
In May, the small, white, aromatic flowers emerge from pearl-like buds which develop into big bunches of blood-red berries by mid-August. These have a more vivid colour and noticeably bigger yield than a wild Rowan tree, which will be much appreciated by your neighbourhood birds, or your poultry. You can certainly harvest the fruit to cook for yourself, but Edulis is a better choice.

All Rowans come into their own around late September with a fantastic display: some leaves stay green while others change from red to rusty ochre to custard yellow. With the rich, rosy berries amongst all of that, these trees are models of autumn colour.

It's vigorous and reaches a modest size of about 10-12 metres (30+ feet) as a standard tree, which is on the tall side for a Rowan, but spreading no more than 6 metres. A half standard will reach approximately 4 metres tall.

Browse all of our other Rowan, Whitebeam & Wild Service trees.

Delivery season: Rowan trees are delivered bareroot from late autumn to early spring, November to April, and pot-grown in any month when in stock.
Choosing a size: Small trees are cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving of less than ideal aftercare, so they're best for a big planting project. If instant impact is your priority, or if you are only buying a few plants for use in a place where it's convenient to water them well in their first year, then you may as well use bigger ones. All our bareroot trees are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Growing Cardinal Royal Rowans

Any well drained soil except shallow chalk. Full sun or partial shade. Tolerant of pollution.

The berries are perfectly edible after cooking; they're unpalatable raw, and will probably give you a stomach ache. They're ripe when they part easily from their stem. For the best results, freeze the berries first or, up North, maybe collect them after a frost: this opens up the fruit's tissues, which shortens cooking time and thus helps to preserve their vitamins. The best jelly is made with an equal amount of Rowan berries and crab apples, which are high in pectin.

History & Trivia

The male Northern Cardinal is a fairly common, bright red bird mainly found in the USA, where this tree was bred at Michigan State University, registration code Michred.

Standard trees are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level: their trunk's waist measurement. Unlike sapling trees and hedge plants, standards aren't measured by their height, which will vary quite a bit both between and within species.
So, a 6/8cm standard tree has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8cm and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10cm around. This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
On average, standard trees are 2-3.5 metres tall when they arrive, but we cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.

Planting Companions

Lutescens Whitebeam is another upright tree for a narrow plot, and our screening trees are worth a look too. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge for Garden Trees?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Cardinal Royal Rowan comes bareroot, lifted while dormant, or pot-grown for planting in any month. Bareroot trees are guaranteed for 12 months, and so is a potted tree delivered leafless between November and March.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does a Cardinal Royal Rowan grow?

In time it reaches 8 to 12 metres tall, but it stays narrow: only 2.5 to 4 metres across.

Can you eat the berries?

Not raw: they will upset your stomach. Cooked, they are edible and make a sharp jelly, best with an equal amount of Crab Apples.

What soil does it like?

Any well-drained soil, in sun or partial shade. It does best in acid or neutral soil and does not like shallow chalk.

Why is it called Cardinal Royal?

It was bred at Michigan State University, and the Northern Cardinal is a bright red bird common in the USA.

Is it good for wildlife?

Yes. It is on the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, and birds eat the berries.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot trees are delivered from November to April, while they are dormant. Pot-grown trees can be delivered and planted in any month when you find them in stock.