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
× Sorbaronia mitschurinii × Sorbaronia mitschurinii × "Sorbaronia mitschurinii, also known as Sorbaronia mitschurinii", is a domesticated species that was known until recently under the name "Aronia mitschurinii". It has been considered to be a group of cultivars of "Aronia melanocarpa", common ones including 'Viking' and 'Nero'. Genetic testing indicates it is likely a hybrid between "A. melanocarpa" and "Sorbus aucuparia" (mountain ash) that apparently originated in cultivation. It has been suggested that "Sorbaronia mitschurinii" is the product of Russian pomologist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin's early 20th century experiments in wide hybridizations. This species is more robust than wild populations of "Aronia melanocarpa"; the