Identification
Its smooth bark is grey-brown and its leaves are complex – or pinnate in scientific terms. The leaf itself comprises 11-19 toothed, oblong leaflets, paired but with a terminating leaflet. The leaflets have no stalk of their own. Rowan trees flower in May and have bright red berries come autumn. Sometimes earlier.
Lore
One of the most revered trees, being called the Tree of Inspiration, the Tree of Life, and the Wizard’s Tree. It whispers inspiration into our heart, and acts as a protector against enchantment.
Botany
The rowan tree does not form forests of its own. It likes lots of light and can easily tolerate poor soil, if well drained.
Part of the plant to use
Berries. Technically pomes not berries, my brain still wants to call it by the wrong name. Pomes are fruit that are formed by the flower itself (stamen, styles, sepals). You'd recognise the little papery bits on the bottom of an apple or pear. Rowan has the same thing, except in miniature.
In past years, I've relied entirely on windfall. This year, I've been using my secateurs to clip selected bunches from the tree. Be mindful of the buds. Clip less than a full bunch and you can be sure you aren't disturbing next year's growth.
I never cut more than what I can balance as a very large handful. It turns out it's always a little under 150g. In total, I've harvested less than 1kg from a dozen trees. That's 1kg total. Not 1kg per tree. You don't need a lot. Go easy in your collecting.
From what I collect, I've also been returning approximately 10%. On my walk home, I'll throw bunches into places I think rowan might like to live. Full sun, well drained soil. Sometimes I plant the bunches. I don't know if any of them will turn into trees, but it seems like the right thing to do.
Recipe of Rowan Ink (red)
This recipe is kitchen-safe and makes a deep red ink.
- Put everything into a pot and cover with water.
- Add 1.5tbsp of baking soda for every 100g of pomes and stems (wet weight).
- Bring to a boil and immediately then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
The foam around the 20 minute mark might be green. Don't fret. It magically transforms to red as it dries. If it is foaming though, reduce the heat or you'll end up breaking the delicate red chemicals and end up with brown ink. (It'll be a nice brown, but it won't be red.)
- Optionally, crush the berries at about the 20 minute mark. It makes filtering take significantly longer, but you do get a richer / deeper red colour.
- Strain the liquid to remove plant material. You can use a fine mesh bag for the first filter, and then use a coffee filter. It may take a while (i.e., overnight).
- Return the liquid to the saucepan, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by at least two thirds, or the test strips are "dark enough" when dipped into the plant liquor. (It will always be lighter without gum Arabic.)
- Transfer to small jars, and add gum Arabic to suit. I prefer viscose ink and add at 10:1 plant water to gum Arabic (or more). Stir well.
Additional Colours
Rowan is rich in anthocyanins and tannins iand can be made into red, green, and grey ink.
Green ink: Use the previous recipe, but substitute aluminium potassium sulphate instead of baking soda. Keep the heat low! Or the foam will overflow from your pan. You've been warned!
Greys: Use the previous recipe, and add a little iron after you're finished cooking. I use dyer's grade iron II sulphate. A more economical option is to use fertiliser grade iron II sulphate, which you can purchase on eBay.
Ready to learn more?
We cover making botanical inks in our botanical ink course, the Galls to Nettles webinar series. The live sessions are over, but you can still buy the recordings (which come with comprehensive handouts, too). If you prefer print: Foraging for Colour includes an ink-making recipe for rowan berries.