Lutescens rowan
Sorbus aria - Fruit colour: Orange / Red
- Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993
Lutescens is an excellent example of the Whitebeams, closely related to the Rowans but characterised by their more regularly shaped (non-pinnate) grey-green leaves.
The young branches also usually have white hairs, and the light undersides of the leaves add to the white effect.
Lutescens produces small white flowers in late spring followed by orange-red berries in autumn when the leaves also take on russet / gold hues. The berries are very popular with birds.
Lutescens rowan for sale
Pot-grown
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All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG12-year 12L pot-grown tree £71.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 24th February.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Lutescens is tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, and is a particularly good choice if you have chalk / alkaline soil.
History
Lutescens has been popular for more than a century, and is widely planted as a street tree.
The species Sorbus aria is native to large parts of southern England - particularly the chalk downs - as well as western and central Europe.
Lutescens characteristics
- Gardening skillBeginner
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesMild damp climates
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1850 - 1899
- Flowering monthMay
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourOrange / Red
- AwardsRHS AGM (current)
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
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In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
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Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
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More about rowan
The Rowans or Mountain Ash trees are a group of mostly small trees growing to about 5m-7m, characterised by their heavily segmented or "pinnate" leaves, which often take on attractive autumn colours. They are also known as Mountain Ash trees, because the leaf has a passing resemblance to the common ash - although they are not related.
They are however distantly related to crab-apples and hawthorns, and most varieties bear clusters of fruitlets which hang on the tree into early winter. The fruits are usually red, but there are also yellow and pink varieties. The berries of many species (especially Sorbus aucuparia) can also be cooked and made into rowan jelly, similar to crab-apple jelly.
All forms of rowan are good sources of food for wildlife from late summer into the early winter.
Rowans are easy to grow, and most are tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including acidic soils, clay soils, wet soils, and exposed situations. Many will tolerate chalk, however they prefer well-drained neutral or acidic soils if possible.
Rowans flower very late - in May or June - and often set fruit by mid-summer. This makes them particularly well-adapted to northern climates with short damp summers and cold winters.
Rowans can be grown successfully in areas with long warm summers, provided you pay attention to watering (particularly with young trees) as they do not tolerate drought.
They can be planted in most locations, but for the best fruit and leaf colours plant in full sun.
They are generally healthy trees, although (reflecting their relation with apples) they can be susceptible to fireblight - fortunately not a common disease in the UK. Scab and aphids can also sometimes be a problem.
The growth habit of most varieties is quite upright, making them good street trees.
Most of our Rowan trees are grafted on to Sorbus aucuparia rootstocks, to help give a consistent size and better tolerance to drought. Some are grafted on Sorbus intermedia which is more suitable for the Whitebeam varieties. Although they are usually just planted and allowed to grow naturally, young Sorbus trees can be cut back and shaped and pruned in a similar way to Malus and Prunus.