Scarlet Japanese Rowan Trees

• Variety: Embley, the Scarlet Japanese Rowan
• Latin name: Sorbus commixta 'Embley'
• Sold as: Bareroot standard, 6/8cm girth
• Roots: Grown on its own roots, not grafted
• Autumn colour: Bright red and orange, held for weeks
• Berries: Glossy scarlet
• Flowers: Creamy-white, in late spring
• Mature size: 8 to 12m tall by 4 to 8m wide
• Time to full size: 20 to 50 years
• Position: Sun or partial shade. Exposed or sheltered
• Soil: Moderately fertile, humus-rich, acid or neutral. Not for chalk
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• RHS AGM: Yes (1993)
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Embley is the Japanese Rowan grown for the best red autumn colour of any Rowan: the pinnate leaves turn bright red and orange and hang on for weeks beside glossy scarlet berries. It is an erect tree of 8 to 12 metres, tolerant of town air, and it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Scarlet Japanese Rowan Trees

Scarlet Japanese Rowan 'Embley' is exceptionally glamorous in autumn when the leaves remain on the branches for weeks, turning yellow at first, then warming to fiery orange-red tones. The glossy orange-red berries should decorate the tree into early November. The bunches of white flowers in late spring are less impressive but still great for bees and butterflies.
It's upright and narrow (fastigiate) when young, maturing after a decade or two into a rounded, tidy canopy 8 to 12 metres high.

Browse our other varieties of Rowan & Mountain Ash.

Delivery season: Rowan trees are delivered bareroot from late autumn to early spring, November to April.
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. Our standard trees are measured by the girth of the trunk in centimetres, one metre above the ground, not by their height.

Growing Embley Rowans

Any reasonably moist, well drained soil except chalk, where it tends to be stunted and short-lived. It's also unlikely to thrive on very dry, sandy soils in warmer parts of the country without irrigation. Full sun or partial shade. Suitable for large containers designed for trees. Tolerant of pollution and exposed locations, but not the coast.

History & Trivia

Native to the Far East, first brought to the UK in the 1880's. This cultivar was bred here by Hillier Nurseries.
In Japan, the species is known as nana kamado. A kamado is a type of traditional grill made of ceramic, and nana means seven, so the name refers to the wood burning so long and well that it is "seven times" better than other wood: seven is even more of a lucky number in Japan than in the West, with deep religious associations in both their Buddhist and native Shinto traditions.

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

For yellow against the best red, plant Embley with Joseph Rock, whose butter-yellow berries ripen as Embley's leaves turn. For more fire, the Maples colour at the same time, and there are more ideas in our trees for ornamental interest. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge for Rowan Trees?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Scarlet Japanese Rowan comes as a bareroot tree, lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months. Plant it between November and April, and it will establish readily.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does Embley grow?

The RHS gives it 8 to 12 metres tall by 4 to 8 metres wide, reached in 20 to 50 years. It is narrow and upright when young and rounds out with age.

Does Embley hold the RHS Award of Garden Merit?

Yes. It has held the award since 1993.

Is the tree grafted?

No. Ours are grown on their own roots, so there is no rootstock to throw suckers. Any shoot from the base is the tree itself.

Will it grow on chalk?

No. The RHS lists it for acid or neutral soil, and on chalk it tends to be stunted and short-lived. It likes a humus-rich soil that does not dry out.

Can you eat the berries?

No. The RHS describes the fruit of this tree as ornamental and not to be eaten. Leave it for the birds.

Does it need pruning?

Very little. It is in RHS pruning group 1: remove dead, damaged or crossing wood in winter.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the trees are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your tree is lifted and sent once the season opens.