In the 🇬🇧 UK, this genus is called rowan. (In 🇮🇪 Ireland and 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 North America, this genus is called mountain-ash; despite this, botanically not an
ash genus Fraxinus.
Instead, …)
Part of
🗻︎ mountain-ash / rowan genus Sorbus,
which together with its sister-genus mentioned above, are both in
🌹︎ rose family Rosaceae,
and
🍎︎ apple / 🍇︎ berry / buckthorn / elm / hemp / 🌹︎ rose order Rosales.
Native to 🇪🇺 Europe and central Asia.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48)
(color key).
Invasive > 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Canada+USA
Invasive > report it!
Invasive > 🇺🇸 USA
Invasive > Michigan
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
Traditionally, Europeans made items from this tree to protect them from evil sprits or malevolent beings. Or from getting lost.
Confused as to whether this applies to pedestrians or sailors, I would rather rely on 🗺🧭 map and compass, or
🛰📱︎ satellite navigation.