Rowan berries, Fruit
The Rowan berries are the fruits of rowans or mountain-ashes, in genus Sorbus of family Rosaceae. Rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs and small trees, native to cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity occurs in western China and Himalaya. Rowans are small, deciduous trees growing 10-20 m tall. The leaves are alternate, pinnate with 7-35 leaflets, and a terminal leaflet is always present. The five-petaled, creamy white flowers are borne in dense corymbs, 5-10 mm in diameter. Rowan berries appear in dense clusters in early autumn, and are packed with vitamin A and C. The fruit is a small pome, 4-8 mm in diameter, red or bright orange in most species, while the Asian species have pink, white, or yellow fruits. The soft and juicy fruits are a favorite for birds like waxwings and thrushes, which then disperse the seeds through their droppings. Rowan berries can be made into juice, marmelade and jelly that goes well with wild game. Rowan berries contain sorbic acid and parasorbic acid which can cause indigestion that leads to kidney damage. However, heat treatment by cooking and heat-drying, or by freezing, neutralized the acids, changing them to benign acids. The rowan berries are too astringent to be eaten raw. Rowans are planted in parks, gardens and wildlife areas as ornamental plants, and for their unusual fruit color and large clusters of fruits. The trees are attractive to fruit-eating birds. The dense wood is used for handicrafts, tool handles and walking sticks. The berries are also a traditional source of tannins for mordanting vegetable dyes.  Rowan berries Author: Jürgen Howaldt (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Germany) | ||
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