Rowan and Birch Trees: how do they influence each other?

[Dreamwoven]

Rowan in America is also known as Mountain Ash. Rowan trees have beautiful red berries in the autumn (like now, late august). Rowan and Birch seem to grow together well. My part of Sweden has a lot of birch trees and also a lot of Rowan. I have tried to find a website on the relationship between these two trees, but not succeeded. Any help would be welcome.

[Dreamwoven]

The reason I ask this is that since we moved to southern Norrland some 6 years ago,we had an old birch tree in our back yard (it was cut down before we moved in). I noticed that rowan shoots sprung up around the old stump. One of these grew into a fine Rowan tree which this year bore red berries (not edible, btw). I've also seen rowan growing alongside more mature birch trees in the wild. They do seem to thrive together.

[Dreamwoven]

Birch and Rowan are common across most of the northern Hemisphere, I'm no dendrologist, but I do like trees. Hug one and feel its life... Horse chestnuts have very fine candle-like blossoms and the horse chestnut has a polished surface as well as providing "conkers", which as a child I played a lot in the Autumn.

[Dreamwoven]

Right now birch and rowan are showing their finest autumn colours, set off magnificently with the much more dominant pine with its greenery on the higher slopes. Every small town in Norrland has landscaping that captures the qualities of rowan and birch especially at this time of year. We took the local train that runs between Gävle (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gävle_Municipality) and Ljusdal (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ljusdal_Municipality), getting off at the small town of Bollnäs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollnäs) a place we like to go, of some 13,000 population. All small towns in Sweden have experienced significant population decreases during the post-war period, and this is the case for Bollnäs. It is about 50 minutes by local train from Gävle to Bollnäs, just 5 stops.

We go there every week or two, living out in the country with decent train services, it makes a refreshing change for a half-day trip.

[Dreamwoven]

This autumn has been unusually long in our part of Sweden, nearly a week after the last post we still enjoy the colours, the silver of the birch, the gold of its leaves, make a beautiful sight. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betula_pendula.

They contrast with the Rowan with its red berries and red autumn leaves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rowan.

[Dreamwoven]

Our Rowan Tree has been loaded with berries, until large flocks of birds came and began frenzy eating them. The whole tree was alive with feeding birds. I can't figure out what species these birds are! There are so many, scores, even hundreds, when they fly away the rowans have been almost stripped of its berries.

[Dreamwoven]

And by lunch time the same day the tree was clean stripped of all its berries.

[Dreamwoven]

Rowan trees are steeped in folk-law, especially druidry: http://www.druidry.org/library/trees/tree-lore-rowan

[Dreamwoven]

Our Rowan Tree has been loaded with berries, until large flocks of birds came and began frenzy eating them. The whole tree was alive with feeding birds. I can't figure out what species these birds are! There are so many, scores, even hundreds, when they fly away the rowans have been almost stripped of its berries.

I wonder if the over-ripe rowan berries had a hint of alcohol in them, it may help explain the voracious appetite of the birds. A couple of days after the tree had been stripped some of the birds returned to eat the fallen berries.

[Dreamwoven]

The kind of bird was the skylark, with the tuft on its head.

[Helga]

In my garden, I don't know if it is Rowan tree (not good with tree names) but in the fall it has red berries and the birds sometimes eat them but they don't eat a lot because the ground is usually enough for them still. Later in September and early October they start eating the berries and I am certain the have a hint of alcohol, this time of year they sing louder and all the time! and they are prone to crashing and you even notice a change in cats, they see that the birds are an easy prey in that state.

[Dreamwoven]

Sounds like a rowan, check the leaves on google images.

[Helga]

no leaves right now, everything kinda bare...

[Dreamwoven]

No problem, Helga, you can do it next summer.

[Dreamwoven]

The maple (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple) is another tree that I like. I think they came here from North America. The Canadian flag has a maple leaf as its emblem. Maples have fine autumn colours, and can be tapped for sap to make maple sugar. You can read more about it on the Wikipedia link above.

[Dreamwoven]

Birch trees provide an important source of winter fuel, it is sold by weight or cubic meter. We have an old cast iron heater, and it helps to cut some up with an axe to produce tinder for lighting the fire, together with pine cones. It burns cleanly and leaves little ash. Now when it is cold and deep snow is on the ground it provides good secondary heating. Nice to watch the birch burning.

[Dreamwoven]

In our front garden there are several mature pine trees. At this time of the year the snow starts to melt, but just around the pines the ground is already bare, well before the snow elsewhere ha started to diminish in depth. The trees are, of course, alive as are their roots, just enough to raise the temperature in and on the snow so that have begun the melting process earlier.

This is very striking.

[Dreamwoven]

This autumn the Rowan in our back yard looks glorious, rust brown leaves on top, green leaves on bottom. And everywhere there are bright red berries, which the blackbirds are starting to eat.

[YesNo]

Rowan trees are steeped in folk-law, especially druidry: http://www.druidry.org/library/trees/tree-lore-rowan

Interesting folklore. I've heard the name "mountain ash" referenced in the link, but not "rowan". That trees cooperate in general I think has recently been shown, but I forget the reference at the moment.

[Dreamwoven]

Occasionally, the Swedish weather takes a "holiday". This happened this year (2018) just when the climate "froze" at the critical time (early October). It was mild (a "Brit Summer") and with very little wind, so we have had an extended period of stable conditions. We went for a drive to enjoy the colours. The beech trees were at their best, as indeed were the rowan trees, caught when they were bright red! Someone who has a good quality camera should have taken pictures!

[Dreamwoven]

I don't believe this period will repeat itself and I will enjoy the colours in memory. So beautiful!

[Danik 2016]

Hi, DW!I´m glad your connection is working. I´ve had connection and loading problems.

[Danik 2016]

A year in the life of a Rowan tree.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHoCsCsxExA

[Dreamwoven]

Thanks for publishing this, Danik!

[tailor STATELY]

Wonderful short video. I've never seen a Rowen tree to my knowledge; beautiful tree.

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[Danik 2016]

Thanks, DW and Tailor!I´m glad that you both have been able to watch it.

I´m glad that you have posted today, DW. Since I have been unable to load the Litnet page for about a month I´m wondering who else is having the same problem.

[ennison]

Lots of Rowan and birch in Northern Scotland. Birch is a greedy feeder but both it and Rowan like the peaty soil of the north. Quite different barks. Birch peels a lot and has a reddish tinge. It also acts as a host to lichens and mosses. It is springy and seldom grows straight but often twisted and often has multiple stems. Rowan has a ferny type leaf (not very accurate description I know) It is pread by birds that consume the berries. It would be very widespread in the Highlands but for sheep and deer which graze it out. Small islands in lochs are often clothed in it.