Mountain ash(lat. Sorbus aucuparia) is a deciduous tree of the rose family ( Rosaceae).

Description

Botanical illustration from the book by O. V. Thome Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885

Inflorescence

Inferiority

Fruit trees

Tree 4-15 (sometimes up to 20) m high with an ovoid crown and a superficial root system. Young branches are fluffy, with gray smooth bark, later grayish-white. Leaves are alternate, 10-20 cm long, lanceolate in outline, with 10-15 leaflets; leaflets are 3-5 cm long, 1-15 cm wide, from oblong to oblong-lanceolate, usually entire in the lower part, serrate in the upper part, matte green above, glaucous or grayish below. Young leaves are pubescent at the base, while later ones are bare.

Dense corymbose inflorescences are located at the ends of shortened shoots, 5-10 cm in diameter, pubescent, less often glabrous. The flowers are white or pinkish, 8-15 mm in diameter, with an unpleasant trimethylamine odor, reminiscent of horse manure. The calyx is first pubescent, then glabrous, the sepals are ciliated; petals are 4-5 mm long, rounded, pubescent on top. The fruits are almost spherical, about 1 cm (usually no more than 1.5 cm) in diameter, orange-red or bright red, juicy. The seeds are usually 3 in number, narrow-oblong, sharp at the ends, and reddish.

Chemical composition

Sorbic acid glycoside (up to 0.8%) gives bitterness to fruits. At the first frost, the glycoside is destroyed, and the rowan becomes sweeter. When the glycoside breaks down in fruits, the level of sorbic acid increases; such fruits can be stored without any processing. Amygdalin and fatty oil were found in the seeds (up to 22%); in leaves - about 200 mg% ascorbic acid, flavonoids; in flowers - quercitrin and spireoside; in the bark there are tannins.

Spreading

The range covers Western Europe, Asia Minor, the mountains of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and North Africa. In Russia, it is distributed in the European part, Crimea, the Caucasus, the Far East, Kamchatka, Siberia, and the Amur region.

It is often found in all natural and administrative regions of the Saratov Right Bank. In the Rtishchevsky district, it was noted in the green spaces of the city of Rtishchevo, as well as in the plantings of the former nursery of the South-Eastern Railway.

Features of biology and ecology

It grows in the undergrowth of forests of various compositions, often spruce, growing on the edges, clearings and cutting areas, less often among meadows, also in rocky or stony places, along cliffs of river banks.

It grows quickly, growing by 0.5 m in one year.

Blooms in May - June, fruits ripen in September - October; the berries, unless eaten by birds, usually remain on the trees until late winter. It bears fruit annually from 5-7 years of age. A good harvest of rowan is usually observed once every 1-3 years, the largest yield is from 35-40 years. One tree can produce up to 80-100 kg of fruit. With a lack of light, it develops poorly and bears almost no fruit. Propagated by seeds and root suckers. Lives up to 200 years.

Economic importance and application

It has long been used as a fruit and medicinal plant, as well as an ornamental one, having pyramidal and weeping forms.

In medicine

The bark exhibits antibacterial activity. A decoction of it is used for hypertension. Branches in folk medicine - for rheumatism.

Infusion and decoction of flowers are used for diseases of the liver, kidneys and urinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, metabolic disorders, hemorrhoids, colds, coughs. Used in gynecology. In addition, the decoction is used for goiter. An infusion of flowers and fruits is used as a diaphoretic for colds.

A decoction of leaves and fruits is used in folk medicine for scurvy, general weakness (after serious illnesses, operations), and vitamin deficiencies.

The fruits are allowed in medical practice for hypovitaminosis. In India they are used for scurvy, hemorrhoids, and liver diseases. In folk medicine as a diuretic, laxative, hemostatic, vitamin, contraceptive, antidysenteric; for dysmenorrhea, malignant tumors. Infusion (orally) - for gastritis with low acidity of gastric juice, hemorrhoids, kidney disease, liver disease, atherosclerosis, bleeding; decoction (inside) - for hypovitaminosis, general weakness. In Western European countries - for liver diseases, kidney diseases, ascites, diarrhea, rheumatism, metabolic disorders, hypovitaminosis, whooping cough, throat diseases, glaucoma; externally - as a wound healing agent. Juice - for anemia, asthenia, gout, hemorrhoids, malignant tumors, low acidity of gastric juice, gastritis, hypertension, vitamin deficiency, glaucoma, whooping cough, dysmenorrhea, liver and kidney diseases, ascites, atherosclerosis. Syrup - for rheumatism, kidney stones, bladder stones, salt metabolism disorders.

Rowan fruits are included in vitamin and multivitamin preparations.

In other areas

Rowan honey

Rowan is highly valued as an ornamental plant, and therefore it is often used in garden and park construction. It is also used in forest reclamation, snow-protection and wind-resistant plantings.

The wood is suitable for carpentry, turning, furniture, and for the manufacture of musical instruments.

The bark colors the tissues in red-brown tones, and the branches black. The leaves give a brown color.

The buds have an insecticidal and raticidal effect. The fruits are used in veterinary medicine - for diarrhea in calves.

It is a good honey plant. Provides bees with a significant amount of nectar and pollen in the spring, during the period of low feeding. Sometimes the flowering of rowan coincides with the onset of temporary cold weather, and then the flowers are not visited by bees. The honey is coarse-grained, has a reddish tint and a strong, unique aroma. The total honey productivity under favorable conditions is about 30-40 kg per 1 hectare of planting.

Forage plant. Fruit yield - up to 2.5 t/ha. Edible in fresh and processed form, used in the confectionery industry. They are used fresh and for making juices, jams, jams, candied fruits, in pureed form along with sea buckthorn and apples. They make filling for sweets, and also make kvass, tincture, rowan vodka and cognac. Dried - a substitute for tea. They can serve as raw materials for the preparation of vitamin preparations. From the fruits you can make sorbitol, which replaces sugar. The fatty oil contained in the seeds is suitable for food and has a pleasant taste.

Cultivated. It is characterized by high cold and drought resistance. In this regard, it is used in breeding work when breeding cold-resistant and drought-resistant varieties of pome fruit plants. There are large-fruited and dessert varieties bred by I.V. Michurin and other breeders.

In the folk calendar there is a Peter-Paul day, which falls at the end of September - the time of ripening of rowan berries. On this day, branches with fruits were tied into bunches and hung under the roofs of houses. This custom is associated with the idea of ​​rowan as a tree that can protect a person from all sorts of troubles. It was widespread not only in Russia, but also in Western Europe and the Baltic states. Rowan branches were used to decorate not only living quarters, but also barns and gates; even rowan branches were stuck at the edge of each field.

In central Russia, rowan was used in wedding ceremonies. Its leaves were placed in the shoes of newlyweds, the fruits were hidden in the pockets of their clothes - all this for protection from sorcerers and witches. In addition, rowan is a symbol and guarantee of happiness and peace in the family, so they tried to plant rowan near the house.

Literature

• Glukhov M. M. Honey plants. Ed. 7th, revised and additional - M.: Kolos, 1974. - S. 203-204
• Trees and shrubs of the USSR. Wild, cultivated and prospects for introduction / Ed. in 6 volumes. T. III. Angiosperms: family Trochodendronaceae - Rosaceae. - M., Leningrad: Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences, 1954. - P. 465-466
• Elenevsky A. G., Radygina V. I., Bulany Yu. I. Plants of the Saratov Right Bank (flora summary). - Saratov: Publishing house Sarat. pedin-ta, 2000. - ISBN 5-87077-047-5. - P. 38
• Universal Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants / Comp. I. Putyrsky, V. Prokhorov. - Mn.: Book House; M.: Makhaon, 2000. - pp. 250-252
• Flora of central Russia: Atlas-determinant / Kiseleva K.V., Mayorov S.R., Novikov V.S. Ed. prof. V. S. Novikova. - M.: ZAO “Fiton+”, 2010. - P. 302

Rtishchevo and Rtishchevsky district in topics
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Rowan (Sorbus) is a genus of deciduous trees or shrubs of the Rosaceae family. The leaves are alternate, from imparipinnate to lobed and entire. Large, numerous white flowers at the ends of the branches are organized into dense corymbose inflorescences that emit a bright, specific aroma. The fruits are 2-5-locular, spherical, resembling a small red apple with small seeds.

About 50 (according to other sources, about 100) species distributed in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. The most important is the mountain ash (sorbus aucuparia) - a tree or shrub with smooth gray bark. Its leaves are odd-pinnate, its flowers are white, its fruits are spherical, red, and serve as food for birds.

Species with simple whole or lobed leaves are often classified into independent genera. The widely cultivated chokeberry (originally from North America) is usually classified as a special genus of chokeberry. Propagated by seeds (species rowan), cuttings (varietal rowan), grafting with a dormant bud or cuttings.

There are many varieties of rowan in nature. More precisely, about 190, and a third of them grow in the territory of the former Union. Rowan is also quite common in Europe, Asia and North America. The most famous is Sorbus aucuparia or mountain ash, which grows wild in forests and gardens throughout the European part of Russia. In the southern regions of the country, the Crimean large-fruited rowan (Sorbus domestica) is grown, whose pear-shaped fruits contain almost twice as much sugar as the fruits of the common rowan, and reach a size of 3.5 centimeters in diameter.

For a long time, rowan was endowed with magical properties. She played an important role in the magical actions and beliefs of the ancient Celts, Scandinavians and Slavs. Once upon a time it was believed that crosses made of rowan twigs sewn to clothing, tied with red thread, protected against witchcraft and the evil eye and provided assistance during military battles. Bunches of rowan berries were hung at the entrance to homes and cattle pens, it was customary to cover the shoes of newlyweds with rowan leaves, and rowan groves grew in the sacred places of the ancient gods. Perhaps this special attitude towards rowan was caused by the unusual shape of the underside of the rowan berry - the shape of an equilateral five-pointed star, considered in ancient pagan cults to be a powerful symbol of protection.

Rowan is bitter. Only until the first frost. After them, the unpleasant taste glycoside of sorbic acid is destroyed, and the fruits cease to taste bitter. Some varieties of rowan, for example, Nevezhinsky, have a sweetish taste even until cold weather.

Rowan fruits are red. In fact, among the various types of rowan, you can find trees with scarlet, pink, orange (mixed rowan), cream (Wilmore rowan), yellow (Joseph Rock rowan), white (cashmere rowan) and brown fruits. This variety of colors is especially common among narrow-leaved decorative rowan trees.

Rowan is contraindicated during pregnancy. And also when feeding infants with mother's milk. It is not recommended to use rowan for people over 45 years of age.

Among the varieties of rowan there is aronia. In fact, this is not entirely true, since “chokeberry” is a special variety of chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) bred by Michurin, which differs from mountain ash in its set of chromosomes.

You can prepare many different dishes from rowan fruits. Jam, jam, pastille, marmalade, jelly, jelly, tincture, liqueur, syrup, kvass, vinegar, coffee and tea substitutes - this is not a complete list of what can be prepared using rowan fruits. Among other things, the latter are also consumed fresh, soaked and pickled. The powder obtained from dried rowan berries can be used as a filling for pies.

Rowan fruits have an antiseptic effect. More precisely, this effect is endowed with sorbic acid contained in rowan berries. In addition, rowan fruits contain about 8 percent sugars, various microelements, organic acids and vitamins, among which ascorbic acid should be especially highlighted.

Rowan fruits are used in folk medicine. As a hemostatic, diaphoretic, diuretic - fruits, flowers and leaves, choleretic, antiscorbutic (decoction of leaves and fruits), laxative and multivitamin (decoction of fruits). Unripe rowan has an antidiarrheal effect (it is enough to eat about 50 fruits). Fresh leaves of this plant are used as an antifungal drug (grind and apply to affected areas for about a day). Infusions from rowan fruits are also useful for heavy menstruation (2 tablespoons of berries per half liter of boiling water). A vitamin drink with dry rowan berries improves complexion.

For the winter, you can harvest both fresh and dried rowan. In the first case, the berries (without removing them from the stalks) are blanched for five minutes, placed in sterile jars and poured with boiling apple juice or, well washed and dried, placed in the freezer; in the second, the berries are air dried or in an open oven.

Rowan leaves are capable of turning “dead” water into “living” water. It is known that in ancient times, Russian explorers infused stagnant and even swamp water with rowan leaves. With the help of natural phytoncides, rowan leaves disinfected water of poor quality, and after two hours it was already drinkable.

Rowan is a low-value fruit tree. In fact, this is generally considered to be the case due to the widespread availability and rather mediocre quality of rowan fruits. It is often grown as an ornamental tree.

Rowan wood is used for construction work. In ancient times, spindles, runes and staves were made from strong and elastic rowan wood.

Rowan grows well in any soil. However, the most suitable for it is light and fertile soil with good drainage. Rowan is not afraid of cold and wind; it prefers sunny or, at least, semi-shaded places.

Rowan (rowanberry) represents deciduous tree or shrub having a superficial root system. This plant can be very tall, sometimes reaching 20 meters in height. The bark of the trunk is gray, smooth. The leaves of the plant are alternate, oblong, young ones are pubescent, and later ones are bare. White or pink fragrant flowers are collected in an inflorescence - a panicle. The rowan fruit is a juicy spherical berry that can be red or orange. Inside the fruit there are red seeds, sharp at the ends. Rowan blooms in May-June. The fruits ripen from early to mid-autumn. The tree bears fruit only in the 5th year of life.

The modest beauty of rowan in the spring decorates parks and gardens with carved leaves and caps of white flowers. In autumn, the tree is strewn with bright, tight clusters of berries. Throughout the winter, the tree serves as a natural feeder for birds who remain in their native places during the cold weather.

Rowan is planted in gardens as an ornamental plant and fruit crop. Propagated by seeds and cuttings. Many varieties of large-fruited rowan with a high sugar content have been developed. For decorative purposes, varieties with beautiful carved leaves are used.

Despite the apparent fragility Rowan is a strong and durable tree. Previously, fishermen made fishing rods from rowan rods, knowing about its flexibility and elasticity. Baskets were woven from rowan branches, and thicker ones were used for hoops for barrels. In addition, various crafts were made from wood; The strength of rowan allows you to carve the most intricate patterns on it.

The berries have found various uses in cooking. Rowan berries are used to make preserves, jams, jelly and other sweets. In Rus', rowan wine was known, which was considered healing and was consumed mainly when losing strength. And fresh berries covered with hay were stored until spring and delighted the village children.

Rowan is harvested for livestock and birds. Berries contain a huge amount of vitamins and microelements. In addition, rowan is a good honey plant.

In different countries, rowan has found medical use. Its main properties are high-vitamin, hemostatic and diuretic. It was also used for liver and kidney diseases. For scurvy, rowan is used in India. Rowan fruits are recommended for cardiovascular diseases: arrhythmia, hypertension and others.

Rowan is considered a sacred tree among many peoples. It was believed that it should not be chopped, much less burned, in the house. Rowan trees planted around the house served as a talisman against lightning. The tree was usually dedicated to the local thunder god (in Rus' - Perun).

Rowan is used mainly in protective and love magic. During the wedding, the newlyweds' windows were decorated with clusters so that their love would be bright like rowan berries and strong like its branches.

Rowan is perhaps one of the most common trees in Russia. You can know with confidence that every resident of our country knows exactly what rowan looks like. Older generations remember with pleasure the taste of sour berries, which become sweeter in the cold - a small piece of childhood that remains with a person for life.

This plant can grow almost anywhere. This is explained by its unpretentiousness and endurance. That is why it is most often chosen for decorating a personal plot. Rowan can become really important element of landscape design country house. Its advantages lie not only in its endurance, as mentioned above. The appearance of the rowan tree is pleasing to the eye and attracts attention, which can look advantageous against the background of monotonous decorative and complex decorations.

This short article, as one can already understand from the previous paragraphs, will be entirely devoted to rowan. This famous plant is of particular interest not only to specialists in the field of botany, but also to the average reader, who is drawn to interesting information about everything at once.

Rowan - description. Characteristics of rowan

To begin with, it’s worth simply describing the rowan, and also answering a very common question that relates to this plant. Many users on the network ask the question “Is rowan a shrub or a tree?” If you think about it, this question is very logical, if you look closely at the mountain ash, you really won’t immediately understand whether it is a bush or a tree, its structure matches both characteristics, so it can be either a bush or a tree.

Finding the answer to this question is quite easy. You just need to enter “Wikipedia rowan” into the search engine, and all the information about it will be posted in the first paragraph of the article on this comprehensive resource. The fact is that this plant itself is a tree, but at the same time There are also shrub varieties. The tree family is Rosaceae, the root system is well developed, reaches 2 meters in depth and spreads to 5 meters in diameter, the type of fruit is spherical, the height of the tree usually reaches 6-15 meters. Rowan looks like a not very tall tree with a straight trunk, as well as a crown, the shape of which can be described as ovoid.

Rowan trees are distinguished by their smooth bark and grayish color. . Leaves can be of different shapes: oblong-lacental or simply oblong, alternate, also called imparipinnate. This plant is indeed a very beautiful tree, which determines its popularity as an ornamental plant. The old leaves of this shrub are not pubescent, unlike the young ones.

Rowan is especially beautiful during its flowering period, when it begins to bloom, and also looks very pretty in the fall. The flowers are collected in a kind of panicle and can be white or have a pinkish tint. The smell of rowan flowers, however, is not particularly pleasant. This is a plant bears fruit annually, but one should not naively believe that the “harvest” can be collected within the specified time frame. Approximately once every three years the plant produces a full “harvest”.

The rowan tree usually blooms in late spring or early summer. At the same time fruit development begins in autumn in September. Gradually, they turn from white berries into red or black fruits. Of course, the berries of the rowan tree may not be on a par with the berries of cherries or grapes when comparing their taste, but in terms of usefulness they can easily compete with them.

Some growing features

When planting any plant, you should first learn about the peculiarities of its cultivation. This will avoid possible subsequent death of the plant as a result of improper care.

• In the case of rowan, you don’t have to worry when planting it. As already mentioned above in this article, this plant is very, very hardy and unpretentious, and feels quite comfortable in almost any soil. Also, do not forget about another important quality of this plant - frost resistance. This ability allows the mountain ash to withstand even the harshest winters quite calmly. In addition, the plant can boast of resistance even to high temperatures.
• This plant is ideal for lovers of beautiful landscapes who prefer to put a lot of effort into caring for plants, as it practically does not require constant, regular watering. True, in summer it is recommended to periodically moisten the soil under the rowan tree. Also, thanks to its strong and developed root system, the plant will not fall before strong gusts of wind. It should also be noted that the plant is resistant to highly polluted city air.

The value of rowan as an ornamental plant

It has already been said above that rowan is often used by landscape designers as an ornamental plant. Moreover, both rowan trees and shrubs are used. Popularity of rowan used for decoration is due to a number of reasons. First of all, you should definitely point out the beauty of the crown of a rowan tree or shrub, which stands out for its density and compactness. Of course, plants with a “weeping” crown shape are most often used.

It is also worth noting the beauty of rowan leaves, which are distinguished by their unusual shape. In addition, in the fall the leaves become orange-reddish tint. In addition, bright rowan berries, which are able to retain their beautiful color even until late winter, are also very good for rowan leaves for autumn herbarium.

Types of mountain ash

Many people don't even know that there are different types of mountain ash. Most often you can come across rowan species with red berries, but there are also aronia varieties mountain ash (photo), which are highlighted as a separate species. It is worth noting that the fruits of both types, both red and black, have medicinal properties. The most common type of this plant is the mountain ash. There are more than forty varieties in total.

Serious work on the selection of mountain ash species was carried out by the famous Russian scientist Michurin. The scientist has developed several new hybrids of this plant. It was thanks to his research that chokeberry, which has already been mentioned in this article. In principle, it is very similar to the ordinary rowan species, but it does not belong to this species. In fact, this is a separate hybrid plant that has its own name - chokeberry.

Medicinal properties

The fruits of the mountain ash have long been used by people as a folk medicine. Rowan berries contain various vitamins, as well as glucose, fructose and sorbic acid. All these components very beneficial to the body, especially weakened by illness.

• It is necessary to identify some ailments for which decoctions of healthy rowan berries are sometimes used. It is recommended to drink such decoctions for hypertensive patients and people suffering from atherosclerosis. Also, this folk remedy can help with disorders of the heart, kidneys and liver. Rowan juice can be used in cases where a person has gastritis, hemorrhoids or low acidity. One of the useful components of the fruits of this plant - sorbic acid - can become a serious assistant in the fight against dysentery bacillus and staphylococcus.
• The berries of the plant are sometimes used as a food preservative and also for water purification. Our ancestors even had a certain way of purifying water - at night they simply threw a branch of this plant into a bucket of water. This method not only allowed the water to remain fresh for a long time, but also imparted a pleasant taste.

The meaning of rowan in ancient rituals

The importance of mountain ash was noted in ancient times. Cases of using the plant as a decorative ornament and medicine have already been indicated above, but even in pre-Christian Rus', in some regions, people used rowan for certain rituals. For example, there were wedding ceremonies, which involved laying rowan leaves on the shoes of the newlyweds, and also placing rowan berries in their pockets.

The specified plant in this case used as a symbol of protection against the possible machinations of witches and sorcerers. Rowan trees were also planted next to the house for the same purpose. Rowan was also used to drive out spirits that brought various diseases and illnesses to people.

In addition, the value and significance of rowan among the people is emphasized by the existence various legends, which were passed down from mouth to mouth for more than one generation. For example, you can point out an interesting and original legend that tries to explain the presence of bitterness in the taste of rowan fruits. According to this legend, the rowan tree was created by the devil himself from the tears of Eve when she was expelled from paradise.

It was believed that this served as a symbol of Satan's victory over humanity. But after the Creator discovered the similarity of the leaves of the rowan tree with the cross, he took it from the devil’s garden. This could not please the devil, who subsequently set out to destroy his own creation so that it would not go to the Creator and people. But he failed to do this, only as a result of trying the berries of the rowan tree have become bitter.

The decorative and medicinal properties of rowan, which have already been discussed in this article, are not the only advantages of this beautiful plant. The qualities and properties of the wood of this tree make it possible to make various joinery products from it. Here it is necessary to mention the main advantages of rowan wood-strength and elasticity.

As already mentioned, there are quite a few different varieties of this plant, but one of them can boast of quite large fruits. Large-fruited rowan berries are really large compared to the fruits of other varieties of this plant. One berry can weigh twenty grams and have a diameter of three and a half centimeters. The fruits of large-fruited rowan are very tasty. At the same time, this variety is not as unpretentious as other types of mountain ash. She doesn't really like winter, so she needs special care. An interesting fact about large-fruited rowan is that it was bred in Crimea by the Crimean Tatars.

Rowan with sweet fruits instead of bitter ones, it was first found in the village of Nevezhino, Vladimir region. From there it spread throughout Russia. It was this variety with sweet fruits, called nevezhensky, that at the beginning of the twentieth century was used for the mass production of tincture, which was called “Nezhinskaya”.

Rowan picture

Rowan is good at any time of the year. It is good in the spring, when its leaves are just unfolding, and at the turn in the summer, when it blooms to replace the bird cherry. It is beautiful in the fall, when its foliage lights up with crimson, and in the winter, when the ruby ​​clusters of its fruits hang for a long time, to the delight of the birds. True, flocks of waxwings, bullfinches, and thrushes deal with this beauty quite quickly. However, it is intended for them. People also love rowan. For vitamin fruits, for honey production, for elastic, durable wood. And just like that! For beauty. And for something else, elusive and unfamiliar to us, but familiar to our ancestors. It was not for nothing that they endowed rowan with magical properties and considered it a talisman that protected against evil forces. And they willingly planted them near the house.

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) is a tree or shrub from the Rosaceae family. This family is very large, which means that the rowan tree has a lot of relatives, both near and far. Rowan's relatives also include our main fruit trees - apple trees, pear trees, and cherries. And bird cherry too. Plant relationships are determined primarily by the structure of the flower. And it is very similar in most Rosaceae: a perianth of 5 petals and 5 sepals, a large number of stamens arranged in circles, the number of carpels from one to many. This is also the case with mountain ash. Its flowers are collected in corymbose inflorescences, so they are more noticeable to pollinating insects.

Sometimes the question arises: is rowan a tree or a shrub? What's your answer? On the one hand, having a height of five or even ten meters - a tree, of course. On the other hand, it is generally accepted that a tree has one main trunk, and a bush has several trunks growing from a common point. With mountain ash it happens this way and that way. As, by the way, is the case with bird cherry. Well, living nature does not fit into the framework created by man, what can you do! It can be considered either a low tree or a large shrub. The trunk of the rowan tree is highly branched, often bifurcating.

The rounded crown is formed by beautiful complex feathery leaves. The leaf is very large and consists of several small leaflets sitting on a common spine. Their number is always odd: all the leaves are paired, and one at the top is unpaired. And these feathery leaves form such a lace—artists will be jealous!

Rowan is not very demanding on soils, it is frost-resistant and is very widespread. Its habitat is all of Europe, and is also found in the Caucasus and Asia Minor. In the north it reaches the Khibiny Mountains. Beyond the Urals, the common rowan is replaced by the Siberian rowan, which, however, is considered by many to be only a variety of the common rowan. Rowan is a forest tree of the second tier. But it does not tolerate shade well, so it grows mainly on forest edges, clearings, and clearings.

At the end of May - beginning of June, rowan blooms. Its flowering is an important phenological feature. The rowan blossomed - summer began. The flowers are white, rather small, but collected in inflorescences and so are more noticeable to insects. Bees and bumblebees willingly visit rowan trees, collecting nectar and pollen. And at the same time they transfer pollen from one flower to another. Rowan is an important honey plant.

The fruits ripen by autumn. These are orange-red apples about one centimeter in diameter. Exactly apples! It is more correct to call the fruits of rowan an apple, not a berry. To make sure, you just need to carefully cut it. In the berry, the seeds are scattered randomly in the pulp. Here they are collected in the central part of the fruit, in special nests. Just like apple and pear trees.

What are the benefits of rowan? Its fruits contain many important and necessary substances. These are different sugars: glucose, fructose, sucrose, sorbose. Lots of organic acids. Of these, sorbic acid stands out. Its antimicrobial effect is very high. It is thanks to sorbic acid that the fruits are preserved for a very long time without any processing. Rowan contains many trace elements and, of course, vitamins - ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin P, carotene and others.

The healthiest fruit! It just tastes bitter! And it’s all about the sorbic acid glycoside, which is responsible for the bitterness. But most people probably know that rowan “berries” caught in the frost are no longer so bitter. The fact is that under the influence of low temperatures the glycoside is destroyed. But the content of sorbic acid increases.

The fruits are consumed fresh, pickled, made into jam, marshmallows, and jelly. Used in winemaking. Kvass is being prepared. In the alcoholic beverage industry, rowan is in great demand - tinctures, liqueurs, liqueurs.

Rowan - a medicine

Traditional medicine uses rowan flowers and fruits as a choleretic, diuretic, diaphoretic and laxative. And, of course, the multivitamin content of rowan is used, including by scientific medicine. Rowan is useful for patients with obesity and diabetes. Dry fruit powder is included in their diet. The juice is recommended for high acidity of the stomach.

Nevezhinskaya rowan

The fame of the Nevezhin mountain ash has spread quite widely. But this is not some separate species. It is recognized that Nevezhinsky rowan is a variety of common rowan, characterized by a lack of bitterness and a high sugar content. It was named after the village of Nevezhin, Vladimir province, near which it was discovered and bred by local residents back in the 19th century. It is curious that there is still a distorted name - “Nezhinskaya”. It was given by the famous Moscow wine merchant Smirnov, who actively purchased Nevezhin rowan for his liqueurs. Perhaps the name seemed dissonant to him. Or to set competitors on the wrong path... But back in the 30s of the 20th century, they were looking for sweet rowan in the vicinity of the city of Nizhyn in the Chernihiv region. Didn't find...

Nevezhinskaya rowan, according to scientists, arose as a natural mutation of the ordinary rowan. As a result of this mutation, the formation of a glycoside in the fruit was blocked, and the rowan turned out to be sweet. Local residents who noticed this feature planted sweet rowan trees near their houses. Moreover, they were engaged in spontaneous selection, selecting plants with sweeter fruits for breeding. Nevezhinskaya rowan has spread throughout the Vladimir province and even beyond its borders. The selection was continued by scientists, resulting in the three most famous varieties: Yellow, Kubovaya and Red.

Selection work was also carried out with ordinary, bitter mountain ash. The famous I.V. Michurin worked on it a lot. He crossed rowan with chokeberry and apple tree. The work was continued by his followers. The result was the development of a number of new varieties. Rowan is also used as an ornamental plant for parks and squares.

Rowan, apparently, also played an important role in the pagan worldview of our ancestors (perhaps I’ll write about this in more detail when I understand at least a little!). Judge for yourself. Rowan was widely used in wedding ceremonies. Rowan leaves were placed in the shoes of the newlyweds, and fruits were poured into their pockets. And the connection with the cult of fertility is very clearly seen here. Rowan was considered a talisman that protected against the effects of evil spells. And not only among the Slavs. Latvians and Udmurts decorated their new home with rowan trees to protect them from the damage of sorcerers. The Chuvash put a necklace made of rowan fruits on the child.
And I myself remember from childhood how every year, when installing second frames for the winter, in all houses they placed bunches of rowan berries between them for decoration. In the 60s of the 20th century, of course, only for decoration. And before?

This is such an extraordinary, ordinary rowan tree!