Rowan tree

Etymology

Its Latin name comes from aucuparis, which itself contains avis meaning bird and capere meaning to catch. It was J. Bauhin, a Basel-based naturalist of French origin, who gave it this name in 1650. Its fruits were indeed used by bird catchers—hence the vernacular name—as bait to trap birds.

Habitat and Distribution

The rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) is found almost all over Europe. Its range extends far into Siberia and reaches the northern limits of the forest zone in Scandinavia. Its wide altitudinal distribution is due to its remarkable tolerance of varying conditions. According to the National Forest Inventory, Swiss forests are home to 2.7 million rowan trees. As a light-loving pioneer species, its presence strongly depends on the competition from other trees. It is most commonly found in coniferous forests, more so than any other broadleaf species. Two-thirds of the rowan sites are located within spruce forests, the rest among fir, larch, beech, and maple stands.

Ecological Value

The rowan holds high ecological value in mountain forests. Among woody plants, it ranks at the top in popularity with birds. It offers both roosting places and a pantry for rare grouse species and feeds over 60 bird species. It is pollinated by bees, shelters numerous insect species, and nourishes a wide range of wildlife. Its easily decomposable leaf litter—often the only broadleaf at subalpine elevations—fosters humus formation. The rowan is also valued in mountain forest landscapes and is suitable as a street tree in high-altitude towns and villages, particularly due to its resistance to air pollution.

Culinary and Medicinal Value

Its wild fruits, known as rowanberries, ripen at the end of summer. They are scarlet red, smooth, and persist through most of the winter—a helpful trait for wildlife and for foragers. Their juicy flesh has a bitter and astringent taste that may come as a surprise. They are typically harvested after the first frost, can be dried, or require long cooking before being used in jams, jellies, or syrups.

Rowanberries are depurative, strengthening, carminative, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic—helping to relieve general pain, including muscle and joint pain. They support kidney health thanks to their diuretic properties (gout, acute renal insufficiency, dysuria, kidney stones), aid the digestive system with eupeptic effects and tannins (diarrhea, bloating, acid reflux, dysentery), and benefit the reproductive system due to their emmenagogue properties (menstrual disorders). The leaves can also be used to treat respiratory issues (cough, hoarseness, laryngitis, vocal cord inflammation). The buds act as venous drainage agents, thus improving blood circulation. Rowan is rich in vitamin C, recognized for its antioxidant properties and its role in collagen formation—a vital protein for skin, joints, tendons, and blood vessels. It also enhances the absorption of iron, a key mineral in red blood cell formation.

Rowanberry Jelly Recipe:
https://cueilleurs-sauvages.ch/blog/gelee-de-sorbes-sorbier-des-oiseleurs/

Sources:
https://www.waldwissen.net/fr/habitat-forestier/arbres-et-arbustes/feuillus/sorbier-des-oiseleurs-en-suisse
https://cueilleurs-sauvages.ch/blog/sorbier-des-oiseleurs-sorbus-aucuparia-reconnaitre-et-utiliser/
https://naturveda.fr/blogs/actus-sante/les-bienfaits-du-sorbier-pour-le-corps/
https://doctonat.com/sorbier/