All bareroot plants are freshly lifted to order. Please allow 7-14 days for processing and shipping to ensure the highest quality for you plants.
Description
Sorbus commixta, Japanese rowan, is, on its own, an eye-catching specimen. It has dark red new shoots, slender and bright bids and foliage to stop traffic in the autumn. In this cultivar, the foliar display has been fine-tuned to turn orange-red and purple into a riotous blaze of red. The form also alters slightly from its parent tree, producing a columnar specimen. The pinnate leaves are delicate and finely toothed. They emerge orange and green and save their best for the autumnal display. The terminal flower clusters are white and give way to bunches of red berries that persist into winter or until the birds find them. This ornamental tree can reach 8m in height at maturity but may be slightly smaller.
Planting Position
The ‘Olympic Flame’ prefers loam, sand or clay soils but will tolerate acid, neutral and alkaline pH. It can cope with sheltered or exposed sites and would make a striking addition to any garden space. It can also be utilised in parkland or urban settings, although not adjacent to footpaths given the fruit it bears, however is best displayed as part of a small group in a formal planting scheme.
Attributes
While retaining the interest for pollinating insects and birds, who value its pollen and fruit, this tree has a high aesthetic appeal from spring to autumn inclusive.
Container options are available here
Sorbus 'Olympic Flame' | Scarlet Rowan Tree | Bare Root
Whilst smaller trees are often cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving in terms of their level of care required, a more mature tree can provide a fantastic instant impact if you are able to care for it over the first few years.
- Standard or Feathered?
Standard trees - have a clear stem up to a minimum of 1.8m and a well-formed head of branches.
Feathered trees - Usually has an upright central leader and side brancehs that emerge down the main stem.
- Which Girth Size Should I Choose?
Our most common sizes we offer are relatively easy to ship and plant. The measurement is the circumference of the trunk at 1m above the roots.
6-8cm girth - 2.50m to 2.75m in height
8-10cm girth - 2.75m to 3.00m in height
- Standard or Feathered?