Mystery Tree

tree
Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? It is right outside our townhouse door.

I love the clusters of vivid orange berries that is has. The birds don’t seem to touch them though.

Tree Identified: European Rowan

Even more of a reason to love it, it is a sacred tree in Scandinavian myth (the first woman was made out of the rowan) and in Aegean lore the first rowan came from where the blood of an eagle fell on the ground.

You can make a jelly out of the berries too, but shouldn’t eat large quantities of them raw. According to Wikipedia various parts of the tree can be used for throat problems, bowel and vaginal irritations, eye problems, cramps and to remedy diarrhea.

I have a few clusters of berries that the tree let me harvest. I am drying them to add to my Autumn wreath.


3 Comments

  1. Swandog
    Posted Friday, August 29, 2008 at 1:49 pm | Permalink

    It looks like a rowan tree to me: http://www.whitedragon.org.uk/articles/rowan.htm (we have them growing wild everywhere here). :)

  2. Raveness
    Posted Friday, August 29, 2008 at 2:37 pm | Permalink

    I love Rowan! Jealous. :)

  3. Posted Friday, August 29, 2008 at 3:47 pm | Permalink

    Well that explains why I am so drawn to it! Though truth be told, orange is my favorite color so the berries are what initially attracted me! lol