Ash

Fraxinus excelsior, known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains, and west to Great Britain and Ireland, the latter determining its western boundary. The northernmost location is in the Trondheimsfjord region of Norway.

The species is widely cultivated and reportedly naturalised in New Zealand and in scattered locales in the United States and Canada. The wood has many uses as it is flexible, workable, strong and lightweight.

European Ash occurs in mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, woodland edges, hedgerows, and riparian areas across Europe, typically preferring moist, fertile soils in lowland and montane regions up to 1,500m elevation. The species is commonly found in association with oak, beech, and other broadleaved trees in temperate forest ecosystems.