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The 'European Ash' (''Fraxinus excelsior''), also known as the Common Ash in the United States, is a tall deciduous tree, native to most of Europe with the exception of northern Scandinavia. The northernmost location is in the Trondheimsfjord region of Norway) and the southernmost in Mediterranean Europe. Ash occurs on a wide range of soil types, but is particularly associated with basic soils on calcareous substrates. The most northerly ashwood in Britain is on limestone at Rassal, Wester Ross, latitude 57.4278 N.

It is a deciduous tree 20-35 m tall, and is readily distinguished from other species of ash in that it has black buds, unlike the brown buds of most other ashes. The leaves are 20-35 cm long, pinnate compound, with 9-13 leaflets. The leaves of the European Ash are often among the last to open in spring, and the first to fall in autumn if an early frost strikes.
The flowers open before the leaves, the female flowers being somewhat longer than the male flowers; they are dark purple, and without petals. Both male and female flowers can occur on the same tree, but it is common to find all male and all female trees.
Surprisingly, a tree that is all male one year can produce female flowers the next, and similarly a female tree can become male. The female flowers develop into fruits, and because they hang in bunches the fruits of the ash tree are known as 'ash keys'.
A number of Lepidoptera use the species as a food source. See List of Lepidoptera which feed on Ashes.

Contents

Uses

Cultivars

References

Uses

The resilience and rapid growth of the European Ash made it an important resource for small holders and farmers. It was probably the most versatile wood in the countryside with wide-ranging uses. Until the second world war the trees were coppiced on a ten year cycle to provide a sustainable source of timber for fuel and poles for building and woodworking.
The colour of the wood ranges from creamy white through light brown, and the heart wood may be darker olive-brown. Ash timber is hard, tough and very hard-wearing, with a coarse open grain. It lacks oak's natural resistance to decay, and is not as suitable for posts buried in the ground. Because of its high flexibility, shock-resistance and resistance to splitting Ash wood is the traditional material for bows, tool handles, especially for hammers and axes, tennis rackets and snooker cues, although American hickory, from trees of the genus ''Carya'' arguably performs even better for these purposes. Ash is valuable as firewood because it burns well even when 'green' (freshly cut). Ash was coppiced, often in hedgerows, and evidence in the form of some huge boles with multiple trunks emerging at head height can still be see in parts of Britain. In Northumberland crab and lobster pots (traps) sometimes known as 'creeves' by local people are still made from ash sticks. Because of its elasticity European Ash wood was commonly used for walking sticks. Poles were cut from a coppice and the ends heated in steam. The wood could then be bent in a curved vice to form the handle of the walking stick. The light colour and attractive grain of ash wood make it popular in modern furniture such as chairs, dining tables, doors and other architectural features and hardwood flooring, although the wood is often popularly stained jet black.

Cultivars

There are a number of cultivars including;

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Aurea', see 'Jaspidea'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Aurea Pendula' (Weeping Golden Ash)

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Autumn Blaze'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Autumn Purple'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Crispa'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Diversifolia' (One-leaved Ash)

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Erosa'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Jaspidea' (Golden Ash)

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Monophylla'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Nana'

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Pendula' (Weeping Ash), one of the best known cultivars, widely planted during the Victorian era, it grows vigorously forming an attractive small to medium size tree with mounds of weeping branches.

★ ''Fraxinus excelsior'' 'Skyline'.

References

★ Mabey, R. ''Flora Britannica''.

★ Den virtuella floran: ''Fraxinus excelsior'' distribution

★ USDA Forest Service description of Common Ash