When to plant and prune Rowan
Rowan flowers from early May to late May and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Rowan is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| East Anglia | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Northern England | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late December | early May to late May | mid November to late February |
Growing notes
A native tree that stays narrow and upright, so it suits a small garden better than its 7m height suggests. Creamy May flowers are worked by insects and the berries are stripped by thrushes and blackbirds in late summer.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 400 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 700 cm
- Eventual spread
- 350 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- No
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
Feeding
Not needed in the first year; a balanced spring feed helps only on poor soil.
Pruning group
Minimal pruning while dormant in winter; remove dead, damaged or crossing wood only
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from early November to early March. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- fireblight
- honey fungus
- berries taken very quickly by birds
- short-lived on hot, dry, alkaline soils
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for rowan.