Kashmir rowan

Kashmir rowan: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small tree or large shrub, 5–6 m tall and 4–5 m wide, with a loose, rounded crown.

Leaves

Pinnate, about 15–20 cm long, with many narrow, toothed leaflets; dark green.

Flowers

Pale pink to white flowers in flat clusters in May.

Fruit

Pearly white berries about 1 cm across in hanging clusters, which persist into winter.

Autumn colour

Yellow to red in October.

Flowering: May · Plants: March–April and October–December · Pruning: January–February

Why grow it?

• Abundant flowering in May: pale pink clusters that attract bees and other insects.
• Large, pearly white berries that stay on the tree for a long time and decorate the bare branches in winter.
• Fine autumn colour from the divided leaves, from yellow to red.
• Stays small (5–6 m) and therefore fits in a smaller garden.
• White berries are often eaten by birds later than red ones, so the tree stays attractive for longer.

Kashmir rowan: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade; autumn colour is best in the sun.
• Humus-rich, moisture-retentive sandy or loamy soil, acid to neutral. Avoid chalky soil.
• Moderately moist: in long droughts it drops leaves.
• Shelter from strong winds; allow 4–5 m of space.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Normal

Size

6 m tall, 5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Dogwood: Red stems in winter contrast with the white berries.
• Snowdrop: Flowers in February–March under the bare crown.
• Winter heath: Low, evergreen and flowering in winter, on free-draining, acid to neutral soil.
• Hosta: Large leaves in the light shade under the tree.
• Ferns: A fresh, green underplanting for light shade.

Kashmir rowan: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–December.

1. Plant from October to December or in March–April, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. Loosen the sides.
3. Mix some compost or leaf mould into the excavated soil.
4. Plant the tree at the same depth as it stood in the nursery; add a stake and tie loosely.
5. Water in at once with 15–20 litres.
6. Spread a 5–8 cm layer of leaf mould or bark around the base, keeping it clear of the trunk.

Care

Water

For the first two years, 10–15 litres a week in dry spells. After that only in prolonged drought.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost in spring. Avoid too much nitrogen: it produces soft shoots that are more susceptible to fire blight.

Mulching

A mulch in spring keeps the soil moist. Keep the circle free of grass.

Support

A stake for the first 2–3 years; remove it afterwards.

Fruit

Leave the berries on: birds often only eat them late in winter.

Tip: Put it where you can see it from a window in winter: the white berries and bare branches are at their best then. Prune only in winter and in dry weather, because of fire blight.

Kashmir rowan: when to prune it?

Pruning months: January–February.

When: Hardly necessary. Prune in January–February, in dry, frost-free weather.

How:

• Remove dead, diseased and crossing branches, and suckers at the base.
• Keep the crown open and light; do not remove more than a quarter of the branches at once.
• Clean your pruning tools with alcohol, especially after cutting out diseased branches.

Caution: Do not prune in summer or in damp weather: the bacterium that causes fire blight then spreads easily through pruning wounds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Take the seed from the berries and sow in October in a tray that you leave outdoors over winter. It germinates in spring, sometimes only after a year. Seedlings can differ from the parent tree.

Grafting

Nurseries usually graft the tree onto a rowan rootstock. This is not a garden job.

Kashmir rowan: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −25 °C: no protection needed.
• The white berries decorate the tree well into winter; leave them for the birds.
• A layer of mulch around the base protects the roots of young trees during hard frosts.

Diseases and pests

• Fire blight: Twigs and flowers suddenly wither, turn brown to black and the tip bends like a shepherd’s crook; the leaves stay hanging as if scorched. In dry weather cut 30–50 cm below the affected part into healthy wood and clean your secateurs. Do not compost the waste. If in doubt, ask a tree surgeon for advice.
• Aphids: Curled leaves and sticky shoots in May–June. Wash them off with water; ladybirds usually deal with them.
• Yellow leaves (chlorosis): Pale yellow leaves with green veins on chalky soil. Mulch with leaf mould; on chalky soil, choose another spot.
• Drought stress: Brown leaf edges and early leaf fall in a dry summer. Water and keep the mulch in place.

Through the year

• January: Prune in dry, frost-free weather.
• February: Last chance to prune. Check stakes.
• March: Plant. Give a thin layer of compost.
• April: Plant. Mulch.
• May: Pink flower clusters; bees and bumblebees. Watch for fire blight.
• June: Watch for aphids. Water in dry weather.
• July: Water in dry weather.
• August: Water in dry weather.
• September: The white berries colour up.
• October: Plant. Autumn colour yellow to red.
• November: Plant. Leave the white berries for the birds.
• December: Plant. The white berries decorate the bare tree.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Sorbus belongs to the rose family, like apple and pear, and like them is susceptible to fire blight.
• White berries often stay on longer than the red berries of other rowans, because birds eat them later.
• It grows naturally in mountain regions of the western Himalaya.