Rowan is attested from the 1520s in the sense "fruit of the service tree", adopted via French "sorbe" from Latin "sorbum" "service-berry". "Sorbus domestica" is also known as "whitty pear", the adjective whitty meaning "pinnate". The name "mountain-ash" for "Sorbus domestica" is due to a superficial similarity of the rowan leaves to those of the ash, not to be confused in "Fraxinus ornus", a true ash that is also known as "mountain ash". "Sorbus torminalis" is also known as "chequer tree"; its fruits, formerly used to flavour beer, are called "chequers", perhaps from the spotted pattern of the fruit. The name
Sorbus decora particularly birds in the winter and early spring. Sorbus decora Sorbus decora, commonly known as the northern mountain ash, showy mountain-ash, or dogberry, is a deciduous shrub or very small tree native to northeastern North America. It occurs throughout the Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, the New England-Acadian forest region, and the eastern Canadian boreal forests. Showy mountain-ash grows tall. Its leaves are odd-pinnately compound, with 11–17 leaflets. Each leaflet is long and wide. All parts are hairless to slightly hairy. Flowers are borne in 125- to more than 400-flowered panicles across. Each flower is across and has five white petals