ASH – Fraxinus excelsior: [ 24 & 75 ]
Grows to 35m with a pale grey-brown bark. Leaves have 3 to 6 pairs of pale green, oval leaflets that grow opposite each other with one on the end, this is called a pinnate compound leaf. Male and female flowers grow often on different trees and are purple, spiked clusters which appear before the leaves. The female flowers are wind pollinated and form ‘keys’ which are dropped over winter and spring. Bullfinches eat the seeds and woodpeckers and owls like to nest in the trees. The leaves are food to many varieties of moth. A very tough wood, with shock absorbing qualities it is used as handles on tools like axes and for furniture.
Grows to 35m with a pale grey-brown bark. Leaves have 3 to 6 pairs of pale green, oval leaflets that grow opposite each other with one on the end, this is called a pinnate compound leaf. Male and female flowers grow often on different trees and are purple, spiked clusters which appear before the leaves. The female flowers are wind pollinated and form ‘keys’ which are dropped over winter and spring. Bullfinches eat the seeds and woodpeckers and owls like to nest in the trees. The leaves are food to many varieties of moth. A very tough wood, with shock absorbing qualities it is used as handles on tools like axes and for furniture.
