Ash

Our native common ash (Fraxinus excelsior). You can recognise it by its black buds. It's often found in woodlands and hedgerows.

Distribution

Throughout the UK, other than on poor light sandy soils.

Typical location

Hedgerows, parkland, fields, woodland and wood pasture, urban areas and gardens.

Age

Ash may live for 350 years, although 200 may be more typical on many sites.

Ash may be considered chronologically ancient from 225 years onwards, although they may have developed ancient characteristics from around 175 years.

A veteran ash must be mature and have visible and significant decay features, regardless of its size.

Size

Ash can grow up to 5m plus in girth.

Consider recording all ash with significant decay features.

It’s important to rely on characteristics rather than size, which is an unreliable indication of age. Most ancient ash are greater than 4m in girth, but ancient ash that have been previously managed as a pollard may be no more than 2m in girth.

Ancient characteristics

• Girth is large
• Major trunk cavities or progressive hollowing
• Decay holes
• Physical damage to trunk
• Bark loss
• Large quantities of dead wood in the canopy
• Crevices in the bark, under branches or on the root plate, sheltered from direct rainfall
• Fungal fruiting bodies (from heart rotting species)
• A high number of interdependent wildlife species
• Epiphytic plants

In addition the tree may have:

• A pollard form or show indications of past management
• Cultural or historic value
• A prominent position in the landscape