Sheerwater Seedling Rowan Trees

• Variety: Sheerwater Seedling, the narrow, upright Rowan
• Common name: Rowan, Mountain Ash
• Latin name: Sorbus aucuparia 'Sheerwater Seedling'
• Sold as: Bareroot 200/250cm tree and standards of 6/8cm and 8/10cm girth. Pot-grown in a 12 litre pot
• Mature size: 8 to 12m tall and 2.5 to 4m wide, over 10 to 20 years
• Flowers: White, in May
• Berries: Large trusses, orange-red, from late summer
• Leaves: Pinnate, turning fiery colours in autumn
• Shape: Upright, with ascending branches that make an oval crown
• Best soil and site: Any moderately fertile soil that drains, acid or alkaline, chalk included. Dislikes heavy clay. Sun or partial shade. Tolerates town air
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• RHS AGM: Yes (1993)
• RHS Plants for Pollinators: Yes
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Pot-grown, all year when in stock. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Sheerwater Seedling is the narrow Rowan: an upright tree with ascending branches and an oval crown, 8 to 12 metres tall but only 2.5 to 4 wide. White flowers in May are followed by large trusses of orange-red berries and fiery autumn leaves. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Sheerwater Seedling Rowan Trees

Sorbus aucuparia Sheerwater Seedling is a small but vigorous native Rowan with a long season of decorative value, naturally forming a neat oval crown without pruning.
Clumps of small white flowers that look furry from a distance appear in May: bees love them. By late summer, these develop into large bunches of brilliant red-orange berries which become a major food source for birds, especially blackbirds and thrushes.
It has an excellent autumn finale. By October, the leaves are turning into a rich mass of colour with the shiny berries drawing all the greens, yellows and blazing reds into one visual feast.

Ideal for the smaller garden, it can reach a height of about 10 metres, and no more than 4-5 wide when fully mature.

Standard trees are the largest size that we deliver; you can also buy native Mountain Ash saplings.
Browse all of our other varieties of Rowan / Mountain Ash trees.

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. All our bareroot trees are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Growing Sheerwater Seedling Rowans

Any well drained soil, thrives on poor soil in full sun or partial shade. Happy on chalk, dislikes heavy clay. Drought tolerant when established. Suitable for large containers designed for trees. Very tolerant of pollution.

If the birds don't get them first, the berries can be cooked, usually into jelly, although we recommend Edulis for its sweeter fruit if you plan to harvest them.

History & Trivia

This variety was found beside a stream in Sheerwater near Woking. Rowland Jackman (1902-1976), manager of Jackman Nursery, brought it to market around 1950. Jackman's were one of the top clematis breeders in the mid 1800's, producing the C. x jackmanii hybrids, which now have close to a hundred cultivars, including Barbara Jackman, which Rowland bred for his wife.

Rowans are native to Britain and northern Europe. They were revered by ancient Scottish tribes, who called the rowan the Lady of the Mountain and it was taboo to cut them down for firewood. This was out of both awe and practical concerns: they can grow on barren, rocky mountain peaks where no other British trees will survive and the berries were an essential source of vitamin C. Some historians believe that the red lines on a kilt symbolise Rowan berries.

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

With Vilmorin's Rowan and Cardinal Royal it makes a trio of Rowans for small gardens, in three berry colours. A Himalayan Birch nearby sets white bark beside the berries. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your 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 Sheerwater Seedling grow?

The RHS gives it 8 to 12 metres in height and 2.5 to 4 metres in spread, reached over 10 to 20 years. We have always said about 10 metres.

Is it a good Rowan for a small garden?

Yes, because it goes up and not out. The branches ascend to make an oval crown 2.5 to 4 metres wide, so it takes up little room.

Can you eat the berries?

Cooked, yes: Rowan berries are usually made into jelly. If the harvest is what you are after, plant Edulis, which has larger, sweeter fruit. The birds will want their share of either.

Will it grow on clay or chalk?

Chalk, yes: the RHS lists it for a wide range of acid or alkaline soils. It dislikes heavy clay, and the RHS leaves clay off its list for this tree.

Does it cope with town air?

Yes. The RHS describes it as tolerant of atmospheric pollution and an ideal specimen tree for a small town garden.

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.