Ash
Fraxinus excelsior

Description and Habitat
The Ash is one of the easiest trees to recognise, it’s the only tree that has a black bud in spring, and its leaf is very distinctive, having from 9 to 18 leaflets on each stem. The leaves are opposite and toothed with long tips. The bark, when mature, is similar in nature to an oak, in that it has deep fissures, when young its bark is smooth and grey-green. The Ash can achieve a size of up to 100 to 130 feet in height, which is reflected in its Latin name of excelsior. Growing in most soils and conditions, it has evolved a reliable and productive seed manufacturing system, it bears both male and female flowers on a single tree, and often develops hermaphrodite flowers. The ash produces winged seeds in autumn and grow in bunches known as Ash keys. Each seed has long wings. The florets are purple and are similar to small purple cauliflowers.

Uses
The average Ash will live to an age of around 200 years, often referred to as the husbandman’s tree, the larger timbers were traditionally used for wagons and furniture, wheels, ladders, oars, walking sticks and shafts for tools. The chassis of a classic British Morgan motor car is still made from Ash. The Ash wood has a justifiably high reputation for strength and pliability and is white with a coarse grain. When the wood is dying the wood has been known to turn a black colour, known a s Black Ash, and is a highly valuable commodity with furniture makers etc.

The wood burns with equal intensity when either green or dry, a saying is “Burn ash wood green, Tis fit for a queen”

Medicinal use
Medicinal use of the tree is limited, although its leaves, bark and fruits have an astringent and anti inflammatory action, useful for the treatment of arthritis and rheumatism. Ash is said to cure warts. The leaves of a young tree made into a decoction will alleviate fluid retention. In folk medicine, an infusion of the dried leaves taken every four weeks was said to improve general health and promote longevity of life.

Mythology
Norse mythology deems the Ash to be the ‘world tree’ Yggdrasil, with the first man formed from Ash and the first woman from Elm. The god Odin hung from an Ash tree for nine days and nine nights, delving into the abyss (Niffleheim) to bring back knowledge of runes and of healing.

Snakes are said to be repelled by ash leaves or a circle drawn by an ash branch, which is interesting as ash leaves were recommended by Greek physicians for curing snake bites, and in the first century AD, Dioscorides said “the leaves of this tree are of so sweet virtue against serpents, as that they dare not or so much as touch the morning or evening shadow of the tree.”

In other traditions Ash was seen as a strong protector, the leaves and wood neutralised the spells of witchcraft, in Greek mythology Ash was sacred to Posieden, god of the sea, made into a cross Ash would protect those going to sea.

If Ash leaves had an even number on each side they were considered a portent of good, if odd an ill omen.

There is an old folk lore saying “oak before ash, and there will be a splash, ash before oak and there will be a soak”, referring to weather lore.

A mature Ash tree will develop an incredibly large and widespread root system, which makes high demands on the available water and nutrients and will operate to the detriment of other vegetation in its immediate vegetation, hence the folklore that crops will fail beneath the shade of an Ash tree.