Plant
🌳
🌳
Size
20–35 m tallAbout the height of a 10-storey building
Lifespan
Often 200 years; ancient specimens over 400
Rarity
Common
M vs F
Ash trees can be male, female, or bear both types of flowers, and some individuals can even switch between years
Habitat
Woodland, hedgerows and river valleys across the UK, especially on richer soils
Best time
Flowers in April before the leaves open; distinctive black buds visible year-round, useful for winter ID
Conservation
NT
💡 Did you know?
Ash trees have very distinctive jet-black buds in winter, making them one of the easiest UK trees to identify even with no leaves!
Ash dieback, a fungal disease first confirmed in the UK in 2012, is expected to kill a very large proportion of Britain's ash trees over the coming decades, making it one of the most serious tree disease threats the country has faced.
Often confused with
Rowan (similar leaflets but smaller tree
red berries not winged seeds)
Elder (smaller
different leaf smell
black berries)
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