ASH FACTSHEET end oftheleaf. pointed leafletswithasingleleafletatthe They usuallyhave3-6pairsoflightgreen pairs ofleafletsalongalongleafstalk. Ash treeleavesthatunfurlinSpringare darker greyandformingdeepcrackswithage. The barkofayoungashtreeissmoothandgreenish-grey, turning grey twigsthatholdsooty, blackleafbuds. bare inWinter. Itisstilleasilyidentifiedwithoutleavesbysmooth The ashtreeisdeciduous,soitdropsallitsleavesandstands How to spot Fraxinus excelsior Latin name Ash in northernScotland. It isoneoftheUK’s mostabundanttrees,althoughlesscommon streets andparks. found inwoods,alonghedgerowsand in Ash treesoftengrowingroupsandcan be Where itgrows a woodlandreachingupto40minheight. Our UKnativeashtreecangrowtobeoneofthetallesttreesin brown aftertheleaveshavefallenin Autumn. green wingedfruitsknownas‘keys’ thatturn In lateSummertheyhavelargeclustersof Supporting theWoodland Trust’s Nature’s Calendar project compound to asinglestem. leaflets thatarejoined smaller leavescalled are madeupofmany Compound leaves , dividedinto Registered charity 294344andSC038885

Left to right: Fraxinus excelsior fruits © Sten Porse, Fraxinus excelsior buds, Fraxinus excelsior © Robert Graham. ASH FACTSHEET sticks andoars. timber hasbeenusedtomakehammers, axes,spades,hockey splintering sopeoplehaveusedittomake toolsforyears. Ash Ash isoneofthetoughesthardwoods and absorbsshockswithout Benefits for wildlife many oftheUK’s wildlifespecies. of thisimportanttreecouldbedamagingto The spreadofashdiebackandthedepletion of invertebrate. is thesolesourceoffoodforover27species Ash isaveryimportanttreeintheUKand dieback ininfectedtrees,potentiallyleadingtothedeathoftree. This disease,causedbyafungus,resultsinleaflossand by aseriousdiseasecalledashdieback. Ash treesacrossEuropearebeingkilled Why itneedsprotecting orange berriesin Autumn. in Springwhichturnintogreenandthen black budsinWinterandhavebunchesofcreamy-whiteflowers Unlike theash,theydonothavedistinctive more compact. leaves, butthetreesaremuchsmallerand that couldeasilybemistakenforash Rowan treeshavesimilarshapedleaves Rowan ( Don’t confuseitwith #ash Take aphototosharewith friendsand Have youseenany spectacularashtreeslately? Get involved Did you know? lesser stagbeetleandotherminibeaststhatthriveondeadwood. and dead,decayingmaterial,theyprovideanexcellenthabitatforthe Ash treesliveforalongtimeandasoldercontainmixofliving for nesting. wildlife withbirdsincludingwoodpeckersandowlsusingthetrees Ash treesmaketheperfecthabitatformanydifferent species of and Sorbus aucuparia #NatureQuest ) @GrowWildUK with branchesthatgrow the toppartoftree, The treecrownis and supporttheleaves. out fromthemaintrunk onlineusing tree crown

Under the ash tree © Andrew Curtis. Sorbus aucuparia © Jonik.