Types of wood ash: a detailed description and photos

Ash is a tree popular all over the world, its species grow in different parts of the globe and have been used by people since ancient times.

Nowadays, its wood is also used in the economy, but no less actively used live planting in landscape design.

Ash - general description

The tree belongs to the Olive family, bipartite class. It has a huge number of varieties depending on the region of growth. But they are all grouped together: ash belongs to the genus of the same name. Trees of this genus are characterized by a strong root system that does not have a taproot. The bark has an ash-gray tint, closer to the soil is covered with small cracks, but above the trunk is smooth. The barrel in diameter reaches a meter and is covered from above with a rounded shape high raised by a wide crown. Formed from thick arcuate curved shoots directed upwards.The height of the ash tree is 25-35 m, but some specimens can reach 60 m.

Apical buds are formed larger than those on the side, but they are all black with small patches. Leaves up to 40 cm grow unequal, opposite to 7-15 leaves 4–9 cm long. These leaves have a full-edged, wedge-shaped base, sessile, bare top and dark green. Marked depressed vein in the middle and whitish protruding veins below. Shank top pubescent, grooved, semicircular. Drops the leaves in late autumn while still green.

How ash blooms depends on the particular tree species, but almost all flowers have no aroma, they do not have a perianth. Collected in bunched squeezed panicles on the branches without leaves. Female inflorescences grow longer than men and grow side by side on the same tree. Also on it there are bisexual flowers. Accordingly, they can have either one pistil, or two stamens, or both of them at the same time.Flowering occurs from April to May, before the leaves bloom. Female flowers ripen earlier than male ones, therefore pollination occurs at the expense of other trees.

Ash fruits are oblong, elliptical or lanceolate lionfish, rounded at the bottom and have a recess at the top. Grow up to 4.5 cm in length. The nutlet is almost half the length of the lionfish, oblong, grooved, flat. Ripen in September-October, but they keep on the tree for a long time, falling only by the end of winter or in spring. In winter, they are eagerly eaten by birds and rodents.

All types of ash are light-requiring, frost-resistant, although they may suffer from spring frosts. It grows well on fertile soils, preferring a neutral and moist soil. Can live 300 years, but bears fruit at the age of 25-40 years. It grows along roads, in plantings, parks, forests, more often in bayrachny, less often in floodplain.

Types of ash

The tree grows in different climatic zones around the world. Having adapted to them, it gradually changed. Today, ash wood has dozens of different species. Consider the most common ones.

Ash Ash

This species grows up to 30 m in height, although on particularly fertile soils it can even reach 40 m. The crown is formed high and tracery.The bark of young trees is smooth gray-green, gray with gray and covered with cracks. From blackish velvety buds grow leaves of pinnate on 7-15 small leaves. They have a lanceolate form, serrate on the edge, sessile. Below have a light green shade, and on top - bright green.

Flowering ash covered with small bisexual flowers that have a bifid stigma and two stamens. Formed on the shoots of last year and decorated with bundles. Flowers appear before the leaves, in April-May.

By the fall in their place appear fruit-lionfish up to 5 cm in length. At first they have green color, then gradually turn brown and ripen by autumn, but keep on the branches all winter.

Ash is a member of the Olive family. The homeland of this species is considered to be the Transcaucasus and Europe, but is also found in the North Caucasus, in Iran. Prefers slightly alkaline fertile soils of mixed and deciduous forests. After cutting the tree on the stump formed abundant shoots. It is also found in the Crimea and southern parts of Ukraine, but it is grown mainly as an ornamental plant.

White Ash (Floral)

The appearance of this ash it is distinguished by a low set crown of rounded shape and well branched. The tree sometimes reaches a height of 20 m. Its branches are greenish-gray, covered with black-brown buds with light felt pubes, standing opposite.

Complex leaves consist of 5 - 11 leaflets up to 10 cm in length and 4 cm in width. Keep on short brownish petioles with grooves. They have an egg-shaped, spiky, serrate on the edge. The base may be unequal, broad and slightly rounded. From above have a bluish-green shade which brightens from top to bottom. At the base and along the main veins, brownish hairs are observed.

An ash tree of this species has many-flowered inflorescences up to 12 cm in length, their description is typically a green calyx divided into four triangular lobes, a rim with four white lanceolate petals that is longer than the calyx.

On the long threads are the anthers, the pistil has a two-part stigma, a long column. Unlike most representatives of ash, this species blooms after or simultaneously with the appearance of leaves. Fruits are obovoid lionfish oblong shape 0.5 cm in width and 3 cm in length. Ripen by the end of August.

This species can be found in Turkey, South Bohemia, Austria, Italy, Spain, in the Balkans, sometimes in Lebanon, Western Syria, and Transcaucasia. Commercially it is grown only in Sicily.

Ash American

The tree of this species grows up to 40 m in height, forming a wide ovoid crown. Young twigs are covered with light down, have a greenish-brown color with a reddish tinge, become shiny, bluish or brown with age, but more often light orange.

The leaves of American ash are large, up to 30 cm in length.

Their leaflets (on average 7 pieces) have whole jagged edges, oblong. They are 5 cm wide, 15 cm long. Top dark green, light green below, smooth, with a cellular structure and depressed veins. Dicate flowers have pistillate inflorescences, grow up to 10 cm. Dense with a clearly visible cup. Appear before the leaves in April - May.

Ash forms a fruit in the form of a cylindrical cage in a length of 3.4 cm, nuts are almost half of its length. Ripen from August to October, spread from September to November as they mature.

Ash Lanceolate (Green)

Although the deciduous tree of this species grows only up to 15 m in height, it forms a powerful plant with a round, broad, light crown on high, raised branches with grayish-green or gray bark. Opposite-pinnate opposite leaves appear earlier than in other species and fall early.

The characteristic of the ash tree of this species is also not different decorative flowers. They are located at the ends of shortened shoots in the form of panicles or bunches, appear before the leaves. In their place are formed fruits - winged nuts or achenes.

North America is considered its homeland, where it was cultivated in the 18th century and spread throughout the world. It grows on wet elevations, on the banks of reservoirs, in deciduous forests. It grows quickly and loves bright open areas, wet soils with high calcium content. For the year can add 45 cm in height. It is frost-resistant, mature trees easily tolerate frosts down to -40 ° С. But at the same time spring frosts can harm it. Planting this ash on the site, note that he does not like pruning.

Ash-leaved

This deciduous tree grows up to 25 m in height, forming an oval wide crown. It is quite thick, which is not characteristic of the ashes in principle. Shiny green bare shoots eventually change the color of the bark to dark gray.

Leaves in this species up to 25 cm in length, pinnate, complex.Formed from leaves of 7-15 pieces up to 8 cm long. The base is narrow, wedge-shaped, the shape is lanceolate, the tip is peaked. The edges are serrate, lighter down, darker up. The leaves are almost leathery, sessile arranged opposite pairs.

Flowers appear on last year's shoots. Do not have perianth, grow in brushes of sinuses leaf scars.

They do not appear in April, as the ash tree usually blooms, judging by the description of other species, but in May. therefore frost damage is extremely rare.

Fruits - lionfish up to 4 cm in length. They have a sharp or rounded tip, oblong. The seed nest occupies more than half the length of the lionfish. The fruit is oblong, convex, ripens in September.

It grows mainly in southern Europe and North Africa. It has a high decorative effect.

Fluffy ash

Another name for this ash tree is pennsylvania. It grows up to 20 m in height, forming a picturesque sprawling crown of irregular shape. In diameter it reaches 12 meters. Young shoots of this type of tree have felt pubescence and are covered with brown-brown bark.

What does an ash leaf of this species look like? These are 5-9 individual leaves, which are painted dark matt from above, and have a grayish-green shade from below. Even in the fall, they almost do not turn yellow, and fall green. The flowers of the plant are yellow-green, flat, round shape. The tree grows fast. For the year can add 30 cm in width and 50 cm in height. Lives about 350 years.

The species must be grown in the light and in fertile soil. The tree is demanding of moisture, therefore it requires regular watering. At the same time it is frost-resistant, but in the northern regions it may suffer from frost. His homeland is considered to be North America.

Manchurian Ash

From where this species originated, it is easy to guess. Manchuria is considered its homeland, as well as Korea, China, and Japan. Prefers mixed and broad-leaved forests, preferring the neighborhood of Japanese elm, poplar Maksimovic. Loves fertile soil, which grows very quickly. The average age is 350 years.

This is a dioecious tree, which is covered with flowers male and female, although sometimes there are bisexual inflorescences with 2-4 stamens. It has a straight trunk, from which branches grow obliquely upward.The height can reach 35 m, the diameter of the trunk - up to 1.5 meters. Forms an openwork highly raised crown. The bark with thin cracks and longitudinal ribs has a thickness of 3-5 cm, brown or gray. Thick young shoots are covered with dark brown or dark yellow bark. The buds are bare, almost black. Leaves form 7-15 leaflets up to 9 cm wide and up to 12 cm long. They have a pointed wedge-shaped base, serrated edge and an elongated end.

But before the leaves appear on the tree, flowers bloom on it. They appear in May, and by September the fruits appear in their place - these are flat krylatki 10 mm in width and 40 mm in length with a flat seed. At the beginning of the ripening period they are green, and by the end they turn brown.

Ash black

It is distributed in the eastern part of North America, where it abundantly covers the banks of streams and lakes. Likes mixed stands of swamps, pure stands are rarely formed. Accordingly, a small stagnation of water is not dangerous to him. By five years of life, the tree grows to 1.9 m in height, while young plants grow faster. It has a high winter hardiness. Does not bloom.

Usually, no matter what kind of ash, it is valued for its solid wood with a beautiful texture.Ash black is especially valued for its unusual color of wood - indeed, it is almost black in color. But at the same time it is lighter and less durable. Therefore, more often used in the decoration of the premises.

The use of ash in landscape design

Due to their high decorative qualities, ash is used not only for reclamation or protective afforestation, but also for the use of wood in furniture production, as well as for use in landscape design. To do this, use decorative varieties of wood that look great in landscape gardening ensembles. Since it is well tolerated in places with polluted air, compacted soils, it is often planted along roads, in city parks and gardens.

More often for this purpose use an ordinary ash-tree which ideally looks in a lane planting. But in very polluted places, the lanceolate looks best. In addition, it looks very attractive. Fluffy ash is also good for urban conditions. It is easy to maintain, looks great in the alleys plantings, when decorating reservoirs.

American ash is highly decorative, but it often suffers from pests.The narrow-leaved is valued for its rapid growth and large dimensions, which it can achieve if it is well cared for. It is used both in single landing, and together with other deciduous plants.

Ash has many types and forms that grow around the world. The tree is valued for its high decorative properties, because it is actively used in landscape design. Some especially decorative varieties are planted not only in parks and alleys, but also singly.

Also valuable is its wood, which is distinguished by its durability, flexibility, and in the case of black ash, a high decorative effect. The main advantage of the tree is that it tolerates a polluted environment and is not demanding to care.