Rowan berries, but a true berry is a simple fruit produced from a single ovary, whereas a pome is an accessory fruit. Rowan is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species; see Lepidoptera that feed on "Sorbus". The best-known species is the European rowan "Sorbus aucuparia", a small tree typically 4–12 m tall growing in a variety of habitats throughout northern Europe and in mountains in southern Europe and southwest Asia. Its berries are a favourite food for many birds and are a traditional wild-collected food in Britain and Scandinavia. It is one of the hardiest
Sorbus not closely related to the true ash trees which belong to the genus "Fraxinus", although the leaves are superficially similar. As treated in its broad sense, the genus is divided into two main and three or four small subgenera (with more recent generic assignments in parentheses): "Sorbus" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some moth species—see list of Lepidoptera that feed on "Sorbus". "Sorbus domestica" is used to flavour some apple wines, see "Apfelwein. "Sorbus" species are cultivated as ornamental trees for parks and gardens, and have given rise to several cultivars. The following, of mixed