Sorbus aucuparia Wettra

Sorbus aucuparia Wettra is a variety of rowan tree with fast growth and an upright, well-balanced habit. It is an elegant tree that can reach a height of up to 15 metres (49 feet) or more. It has the typical compound foliage of the species, with a beautiful bright green colour that turns yellow or red in autumn. Its white spring flowering is followed by decorative coral-red fruits that often persist until December... if the birds that love them don't devour them first! Very hardy, it is adaptable to different soils and climates and shows great versatility.

The Rowan tree, known as Sorbus aucuparia, is a tree of about fifteen metres that grows naturally in hedges, along paths or at woodland edges. Its natural distribution area is immense, covering a large part of Europe, Russia, temperate Asia, to Japan. Its excellent hardiness and tolerance to various natural conditions, whether soil or climate, explain its ability to spread. In the countryside, its berries serve as a pantry for wild birds, hence the common name of this tree. A member of the large Rosaceae family, there are dozens of species, with Sorbus aucuparia being one of the most common.

'Wettra' is often used for urban planting due to its distinctly upright habit of taking a regular ovoid shape. With fast growth, it reaches about 10 metres (33 feet) in height and 6 metres (20 feet) in width within ten years. Its odd-pinnate foliage is composed of several leaflets (9 to 17) with a green colour. Flowering in white corymbs appears in May-June and attracts bees. The flowers then give numerous clusters of coral-red fruits, about 1 cm (1in) in diameter and very decorative, which delight the birds that feed on them until the end of the year. In autumn, the foliage takes on a beautiful yellow to orange-red colour depending on the situation, contrasting well with the grey bark.

Planting this rowan tree in full sun is best, but it will tolerate partial shade for part of the day. It is not demanding in terms of soil, and, being a pioneer species, it can establish itself in poor soil.

Its mature size and fast growth make 'Wettra' suitable for medium to large gardens. In poor soil conditions, a cousin from the same family can be planted nearby, the Amelanchier lamarckii, also a "plant for 3 seasons": delicate and abundant white spring flowering is followed by decorative and edible purple berries, and the bronze foliage upon emergence turns green, blazing orange in autumn. At its base, brooms will provide a spectacle with their vibrant late spring flowering, such as the remarkable 'Boskoop Ruby'.