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Mountain Ash (Bundle of 3) | Spring 2027
$99.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)
Disease resistanceNo strong resistance
- 2 Cedar rusts : Susceptible, 2 of 5
- 1 Fire blight : Highly susceptible, 1 of 5
Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.
See it on our unusual fruit disease chart (opens in a new tab)At a glance: Mountain Ash is a mountain ash tree rated hardy to zone 3 in our ratings (winters to -40°F), and not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer.
| Also called | Rowan (Sorbus) |
|---|---|
| Hardy to | Zone 3 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 3, colder half included (winters to -40°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
| Chill hours | About 1,000 hours (600 to 1,500). Our estimate. No published figure exists for this variety yet. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources. |
| Pollination | Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), very late spring here. Mountain ash flowers are built to favor cross-pollination, so plant the seedlings in the bundle near each other; each one is genetically different. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Pollination Charts. |
| Good for | Feeding wildlife (8/10), ornamental value (8/10), jams and jellies (6/10), brandy and liqueurs (6/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists. |
| Deer | A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it. |
| What you get | Bare root, 3-5 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
Overview
This tree isn’t technically native to Montana (the closest native range is eastern North Dakota), but it’s not listed elsewhere on the website. These trees are extremely hardy and can thrive in tough conditions.
Beautiful Spring Blooms
In the spring, they produce pretty white flowers that add a touch of beauty to any landscape.
Edible and Versatile Fruit
After their first winter freeze, the fruits become edible—both raw or cooked. They can be used to make pie and jelly, making them a great addition to any garden.
Size and Hardiness
These trees will reach about 30 ft. at maturity. Hardy to zone 3, or possibly even zone 2.
Size
Trees are 18-24".
Shipping restrictions: state invasive plant law
European mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia) is on Maine’s “do not sell” list of prohibited invasive plants, and Minnesota has designated it a Specially Regulated Plant with sale prohibited from 2029. We do not ship mountain ash to Maine. Minnesota customers should note the coming 2029 restriction.
These restrictions apply to the European species. If you are ordering from a state that regulates Sorbus aucuparia and need written confirmation of the species we are shipping, contact us before ordering and we will confirm from our nursery records.
Orders placed to a prohibited state will be cancelled and refunded.
Photos: “Sorbus decora 15-p.bot-sorbu.deco-15” by Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; “Sorbus decora 1219234” by Bill Cook, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 3.0; “Sorbus decora 15-p.bot-sorbu.deco-13” by Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; “Showy Mountain-Ash (Sorbus decora) - Algonquin Provincial Park 2019-09-21 (02)” by Ryan Hodnett, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; “Sorbus decora 1219233” by Bill Cook, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 3.0.
Questions we get about Mountain Ash
Does Mountain Ash need a pollenizer?
Yes. Mountain Ash needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Mountain ash flowers are built to favor cross-pollination, so plant the seedlings in the bundle near each other; each one is genetically different.
How cold hardy is Mountain Ash?
We rate Mountain Ash hardy to zone 3, which means winters down to about -40°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.
How many chill hours does Mountain Ash need?
About 1,000 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 600 and 1,500. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.
What is Mountain Ash good for?
Our top use scores for Mountain Ash are feeding wildlife (8/10), ornamental value (8/10), jams and jellies (6/10), brandy and liqueurs (6/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Is Mountain Ash disease resistant?
No. It's very prone to fire blight, and prone to cedar rusts. Our unusual fruit disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.
Will deer eat Mountain Ash?
Yes, deer love it. Protect Mountain Ash with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.
What arrives, and when does Mountain Ash ship?
A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 3-5 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.
Juice data
| SG (Brix) | Acid g/L | Tannin g/L | pH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.070 (17.0) E | 11.0 P | 3.0 E | not published |
Letters show how solid each number is: M measured, P published but weaker, E our estimate.
Rowan: malic 7.7 to 12.4 g/kg, sorbitol 32 to 72 g/kg across Latvian rowan and aronia samples. Raw berries carry parasorbic acid, which heat turns into sorbic acid [67], so cook them (freezing alone is folk advice we couldn't confirm). Bitter accent only.
Sources: FoodBalt 2011, rowan and aronia sugars and acids; Parasorbic acid: heat or hydrolysis converts it to sorbic acid (Wikipedia)
Run Mountain Ash through the hard cider calculator to see what it does in a blend.