Trees🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -25°C

European Ash

Fraxinus excelsior

From€5.95incl. VAT

Select a size to order

Choose a size

–

European Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is a native deciduous tree of stream valleys, river forests, moist deciduous forests, hedgerows, coppice forests, avenues and landscape planting. The tree is recognizable by the black opposite buds, the gray bark and the pinnate compound leaf with multiple serrated leaflets. In March and April, European Ash blooms with inconspicuous greenish to purple-brown flower plumes, often before the leaf appears. After flowering, elongated winged nutlets form that hang in clusters from the tree. European Ash grows best on moist, nutrient-rich, loam-rich or clay-rich soil with good rooting and without long-term stagnant water. The species fits well in large gardens, landscape planting, hedgerows, coppice, garden planting, avenues and natural forest edges.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

Preferably prune European Ash during winter dormancy. Remove dead, damaged or diseased branches and avoid large pruning wounds. As coppice or pollard tree, the species can be cut back periodically, but for a natural tree form, limited pruning is better.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Half shade, Sun

Soil type: Clay, Sand, Loam, Humus-rich

Moisture need: Moderately moist, Moist

pH: Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Neutral (6.5–7.5), Chalky (>7.5)

Nutrient richness: Moderately nutrient-rich, Nutrient-rich

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-rich

Water drainage: Well draining, Moisture-retentive

Appearance & season

Mature height: 2500-4000cm

Bloom: Apr

Autumn colour: Yellow to yellow-green. The ornamental value lies mainly in the open crown, black winter buds, pinnate leaves and hanging clusters of winged nutlets.

Properties

Salt sensitive: No

Edible: No

Scent: The flowers have no strong or conspicuous scent. European Ash is mainly wind-pollinated and attracts few flower visitors.

Ecological value

European Ash is valuable as a large native tree with an open crown, leaf food, nesting and plenty of structure. The leaf is used by various caterpillars, leaf miners, beetles and other insects. Old ashes provide extra value through bark, crevices, cavities, dead wood, mosses, lichens and fungi. The flowers are mainly wind-pollinated and are not an important nectar source. The winged nutlets can be food for birds and small animals. In hedgerows, coppice plots, stream forests and avenues, European Ash provides plenty of landscape and ecological value, especially when trees are allowed to grow old.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsUseful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesLimited

🪰 HoverfliesLimited

🦋 ButterfliesUseful

🪲 Beetles & insectsVery useful

🐦 BirdsVery useful

🐿️ MammalsVery useful

🐞 Other animalsVery useful

European Ash is especially valuable as a large structural tree for moist, nutrient-rich sites. Take into account ash dieback: young and old ashes can get infections from this, but healthy trees remain ecologically valuable.

Distribution in the Netherlands