FRAXINUS EXCELSIOR

ASH

Large-growing tree which reaches up to 30 metres tall, with a narrow, oval crown. Its bark is smooth and silvery, which becomes more wrinkled as the tree grows older. It has black opposed buds which open out into grey flowers. Its leaves are its most notable feature and are comprised of between seven and fifteen pointed leaflets with serrated edges. Its wing-shaped fruit hang in bunches.

FUN FACT: Its wood is widely used to make sporting goods, handles, walking sticks and stairs due to its lightness and elasticity. Its branches are used as fodder for livestock and its leaves have a range of uses in medicine as they have diuretic and antirheumatic effects. Its leaves are the last to open in spring yet the first to fall in autumn.