Common ash (Fraxinus excelsior): what the forestry bodies record

This page reports what forestry bodies say about one tree. It does not identify trees from descriptions or photos and does not say what should be done with any tree. Each fact names its source, all read on October 9, 2026. The North American ash species have their own pages, linked from what attacks ash.

At a glance

Item	What the source records
Scientific name and family	Fraxinus excelsior, family Oleaceae (Woodland Trust)
Common names	Ash, common ash and European ash (Woodland Trust); Forest Research files it as Ash with the code AH
Origin	Native to the British Isles (Forest Research and Woodland Trust)
Height	Up to 35 m when fully grown (Woodland Trust)
Life span	The Woodland Trust says trees can live to 400 years, longer if coppiced; EUFORGEN says the tree can grow for 120 years
Britain	Forest Research gives 151,000 hectares of ash, 11 percent of all broadleaved woodland; the Woodland Trust calls it the third most common tree in Britain

Range

Forest Research says common ash is native to the British Isles and much of western Europe except the far north. EUFORGEN, the European forest genetic resources programme, gives a wider native range: Asia Minor and most of Europe except the most northern and southern parts. The Woodland Trust adds that it is found from the Arctic Circle to Turkey. EUFORGEN calls it the largest and most commercially important ash species in Europe and says it is wind pollinated, with male and female trees and hermaphroditic intermediates.

Site and soil

Forest Research calls ash a very site demanding species. It says the tree grows best on moist, well-drained, deep and rich soils with a high nitrogen content, often over calcareous bedrock, and needs a pH of five or above. It says nutrient-poor dry soils and waterlogged soils are to be avoided. The same entry gives intermediate shade tolerance when young, cold hardiness, moderate tolerance of exposure and susceptibility to late frost damage, which can cause forking. EUFORGEN differs on acidity: it says the tree is highly tolerant of seasonal flooding and of acid soil with a pH as low as 4.5, and thrives in cool climates with a lot of sunlight.

Leaves, buds and seed

The Woodland Trust describes opposite pairs of light green oval leaflets, three to six pairs, with one leaflet at the end, and says the leaves fall while green. In winter it names smooth, flattened twigs with black, velvety buds in opposite pairs as the way to identify it. Flowers are purple and appear before the leaves in spring. Winged fruits called keys form in late summer and autumn and fall in winter and early spring. The Woodland Trust names rowan and elder as trees not to confuse it with.

Wildlife and timber

The Woodland Trust says the airy canopy and early leaf fall let sunlight reach the woodland floor, and that the leaves feed the caterpillars of many moth species. Forest Research calls ash an important host for many species of plants and animals. On timber, the Woodland Trust says ash is one of the toughest hardwoods and absorbs shock without splintering, used for tool and sport handles, hockey sticks, oars and furniture. EUFORGEN calls the timber highly valued for its toughness and elasticity and lists furniture, flooring, tools and sports equipment.

Pests and diseases the sources name

Forest Research says the prime concern is Chalara ash dieback, caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, which it says is causing extensive death of trees across Britain, especially in the drier south-east of England. It says that because of the disease the ability to plant ash is severely restricted. The Woodland Trust calls ash dieback the main threat and predicts the outbreak will cost £15 billion in Britain. The full record is on the ash dieback profile.

Forest Research also says emerald ash borer, a notifiable insect, has caused significant damage to North American ash, has been confirmed west of Moscow and is not in the British Isles, and that suspected sightings are reported through TreeAlert. See the emerald ash borer profile. The entry adds that ash can suffer root and butt rots that cause late flushing, thinning foliage and decline, and is commonly affected by ash bud moth, Prays fraxinella, which causes leaf wilt and dieback of some small twigs. Forest Research puts ash among the principal tree species for Britain and records a project that aims to find ash trees with good tolerance to the disease.

Text on Forest Research is adapted from its tree species database entry and contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.