Common Ash
Fraxinus excelsior · Oleaceae · 구주물푸레나무
How to spot it
The black winter buds are the clearest identifying feature.
Look
- Leaves
- Pinnate compound leaves 25 to 30 cm long, usually with 9 to 11 leaflets that are oblong-lanceolate with slender tips and toothed margins.
- Flowers
- In April, flowers open in short, dense panicles from the nodes of last year's twigs.
- Fruit
- Samaras called 'keys' hang in large bunches, each about 3.8 cm long.
- Bark
- Pale trunk bark with cracks.
Where it grows
- Native to
- Native to Europe, including Britain, and the Caucasus.
- Ecology
- Prefers deep, moist loam and also grows well on limestone ground; it takes a lot from the soil.