Sorbus aucuparia as "Thor's protection". In English folklore, twigs of "S. aucuparia" were believed to ward off evil spirits and witches. The plant was called "the witch" in England and dowsing rods to find ores were made out of its wood. Twigs of "S. aucuparia" were used to drive cattle to the pasture for the first time in spring to ensure their health and fertility. The wooden shafts of forks and other farm implements were constructed from "S. aucuparia", to protect farm animals and production from witches' spells. In weather lore, a year with plentiful rowan fruit would have a good grain
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