Rowan Rowan The rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus "Sorbus" of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the mountains of western China and the Himalaya, where numerous apomictic microspecies occur. The name "rowan" was originally applied to the species "Sorbus aucuparia" and is also used for other species in "Sorbus" subgenus "Sorbus". Formerly, when a wider variety of fruits were commonly eaten in Europe and North America, "Sorbus" was a domestically used fruit throughout these regions. It is still used in
Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf Mountain Ash () is a town (and former community) in the Cynon Valley, within the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. At the 2001 census, Mountain Ash had a population of 7,039 increasing to 7,374 at the 2011 Census. The Mountain Ash geographical area incorporates and includes the districts and villages of Cefnpennar, Cwmpennar, Caegarw, Darranlas, Fernhill, Glenboi and Newtown. Mountain Ash lies within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. The town lies about 4.5 miles south of the town of Aberdare and approximately 19 miles northwest of Cardiff. The village and community of