Come May and June, the mountain ash—or as we often call it here, the rowan tree—puts on quite a show. While that blooming window is relatively short, it sets the stage for those iconic reddish-orange berries that pop up by August.
Rowan Blossoms: Bloom Time and Key Features
If you’ve recently planted a young mountain ash, you’ll need a little patience; these trees usually take about five years before they’re ready to flower for the first time. In our neck of the woods, you can expect to see those blooms from May through June. It’s a quick season, but by late summer, the tree will be loaded with round berries. These usually hit peak ripeness by October and often hang onto the branches all through the winter, providing a great pop of color against the snow.
The individual flowers are tiny and creamy white, but don’t let their size fool you—they pack a seriously intense fragrance. If you’re thinking about adding a mountain ash to your backyard, definitely be prepared for that scent. Just a heads-up, though: it’s a bit of a “love it or hate it” smell. Some gardeners find it sweet, while others think it’s a little too pungent.
Up close, each little blossom has five petals with rounded tips. These flowers are hermaphroditic (meaning they have both male and female parts), featuring 20 stamens and a three-part pistil. You’ll see them growing in wide, flat-topped clusters called cymes, which give the tree that beautiful, frothy white look in late spring.
