Ash (lat. Fraxinus) is a genus of flowering plants from the olive family (lat. Oleaceae) to which belong olive, lilac, forsythia, viburnum, etc. There are about 45-65 species and the size of their trees usually varies from medium to large. They are mostly deciduous trees, although a few subtropical species are evergreen. The genus is widespread in most of Europe, Asia and North America.
The leaves are mostly simple, pinnate, and arranged oppositely in pairs. A popular name for the fruit is perutka. In nature, a single tree takes on male or female characteristics, while over the years an ash can change its gender function from male or hermaphroditic to female. If grown as an ornamental plant, ash can have both sexes (hermaphrodite).
Ash wood is highly valued for its strength and elasticity and is often used to make clubs, bows, tool handles and other products that require strength, durability and resistance. Numerous animals and insects, as well as butterfly and moth caterpillars, feed on the leaves and fruit of this tree.
Types of ash trees
In Croatia, autochthonous field ash (lat. Fraxinus angustifolia) is known in flooded lowland forests, mountain ash (also known as white ash, lat. Fraxinus Excelsior) in the mountains, and black ash (lat. Fraxinus ornus) in the sub-Mediterranean. However, there are still a large number of species, of which the green or Pennsylvania ash (lat. Fraxinus Pennsylvanica) is also a popular species for cultivation.
Polish ash
Polish ash (lat. Fraxinus angustifolia) has extremely narrow leaves. This species of ash is native to central and southern Europe, northwestern Africa, and southwestern Asia. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree that can grow up to 20-30 m, and the trunk can be up to 1.5 m thick. The bark is smooth and pale gray on young trees, and it becomes fissured on old trees. The buds are pale brown, which makes it easy to distinguish, even in winter, from the buds of the closely related mountain ash (Fraxinus excelsior, whose buds are black). The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs and are grouped up to 13 leaves, and in autumn they turn red.
The leaves are extremely narrow and 3 to 8 cm long, and 1 to 1.5 cm wide. Trees that produce flowers are either male or hermaphrodite, or have mixed characteristics of male and hermaphrodite trees. Male and hermaphrodite flowers occur in all individuals, i.e. all trees are functionally hermaphrodite. Flowering occurs in early spring. The fruit is usually 3 to 4 cm in size.
Mountain ash
Mountain ash (white ash, ordinary ash, lat. Fraxinus Excelsior) is a large deciduous tree that can grow up to 12-18 m, with a trunk up to 2 m thick, with a tall, airy and narrow crown. The bark on young trees is smooth and pale gray in color, and on older trees it becomes stiff and darker. The shoots are strong, greenish-grey, with black buds (which distinguish it from most other types of ash, which have gray or brown buds). The leaves are pinnate and oppositely arranged, and can be 20 to 35 cm long.
The color of the wood ranges from creamy white to light brown, and the interior can be a darker olive brown. Resilience and rapid growth have made this tree an important resource for small mill owners and farmers. It was probably the wood with the most versatile use. Until World War II, trees were often processed and used as fuel.
Black ash
Black ash (lat. Fraxinus ornus) is a species of ash whose habitat is southern Europe and western Asia. It blooms in March when the leaf. It is used in the furniture industry. The tree is up to 10-15 meters high and has a diameter of up to 0.5 m. The bark is grey-ash colored and smooth, unlike all other ash trees that have cracked bark. The leaves are unusually pinnate, with 7-9 leaflets each. They are usually pointed elliptic or ovoid-lanceolate, while they are serrated on the rim. The flowers are feathery, dense, very large (up to 15 cm long), fragrant and many-flowered. The fruit ripens in August, with a wing length of 2 to 3.5 cm.
It is found very often in all thermophilic forests, from the lowlands to over 1,200 m above sea level. Occurs in oak and mixed forests. Black ash is drought tolerant and grows on shallow, undeveloped soils. It is a hygrophilous species that prefers to be exposed to sunlight, but also tolerates shade. This type of ash is widespread in Southern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor.
Pennsylvania ash
Pennsylvania ash (green ash, lat. Fraxinus Pennsylvanica) is a species of ash native to eastern and central North America, from Colorado to northern Florida, and southwest from Oklahoma and eastern Texas. This species has spread and naturalized in the west of the USA, and in Europe, in the area from Spain to Russia.
The Pennsylvania ash is a medium-sized deciduous tree that can grow from 12 to 25 m, sometimes 45 m, with a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter. The bark is smooth and gray on young trees, becoming rigid with age. Buds are reddish brown, with a velvety texture. The leaves are 15 to 30 cm long, pinnately arranged with seven to nine (five or eleven) leaves. The leaves are green above and below. In the fall, the leaves are golden-yellow, and depending on the climate, the leaves of the Pennsylvania ash can start to change color as early as the first week of September.
The flowers appear in the spring at the same time as the new flowers, which are inconspicuous and without petals, and are pollinated by the wind. The scale of this type of ash is 2.5 to 7.5 cm long, and consists of one seed 1.5 to 3 cm long with an elongated apical wing, 4 to 4 cm long and 3 to 7 mm wide. .
Ash planting
Learning how to grow and plant an ash tree can be as easy as planting most trees. However, unlike some other types of trees, ash does not require much care.
Choose a spacious area as this tree will grow to a very large scale. Ash prefers exposure to sunlight, although it will tolerate partial shade.
Planting time
The optimal time for planting ash can vary slightly from species to species, however for most species the best time to plant is in early spring, after frost.
Planting from seeds
If you decide to grow an ash tree from seed, fall is the best season because cold weather can slow down growth. September and October are therefore the best months for seed preparation. Before planting the seeds in the soil, it is necessary to prepare the seeds. Ash seeds need to be soaked in cold water for 48 hours. The water should be changed after the first day. Drain the seeds and mix them with horticultural sand or a mixture of sand and compost (for ash seeds, it is useful to add compost to the mixture).
Use 50% leaf or peat compost and 50% horticultural sand. For every handful of seeds, add two or three handfuls of the mixture. Choose a pot that has enough room for this seed and sand mixture.
First put a layer of stones on the bottom. Cover the stones with sand. Put the mixture of seeds and mixture on this and then cover it with sand (a layer of 2 to 3 cm). Place the container or pot in a shady place outdoors for about 18 months. Water only when the soil becomes dry, and it is necessary to protect the pot or container from birds and mice. The seeds are sown only next spring, after germination.
Freshly collected ash seeds do not contain a fully developed embryo (young plant). It takes the entire summer (warm temperatures) for the embryo to grow to full size and be ready for germination.
Planting from a seedling
Prepare a hole deep enough to plant your tree in, leaving about 30 cm of extra depth to spread the soil and compost mix, and about twice as wide as the plant’s root system, so you can add soil mix around the roots, which will encourage better plant growth.
Cultivation outdoors
It is necessary to know the potential height and width of trees and take this into account when choosing a place to plant a tree. The root structure of a tree is often a predictable variable that could seriously affect the landscape of the homeowner around whom it is planted. Consideration and good planning before planting will save homeowners a lot of trouble. In addition, it is necessary to find out what conditions suit a certain species. Plant trees far enough away from the house so that fast-growing branches do not damage the house, windows or roof.
Ground
One of the reasons ash trees are so great is that they can grow in almost any soil. However, ash grows best in rich soil with a pH value between 4 and 7.
Ash cultivation
The ash tree is a plant that is very easy to grow because it does not need a lot of excessive care and attention. The most important thing is to cut down the right place for planting trees.
Watering
Ash trees will grow quickly if they are adequately watered. Due to its large growth, it needs moist soil, especially in the early stages of growth. This tree grows very quickly and abundant watering will allow the roots to penetrate deep into the soil, which will allow the tree to grow to greater heights.
Make sure the young seedlings are moist. It is necessary to reduce the amount of water with which the trees are watered as the end of summer approaches.
Fertilization
In most cases, soil fertilization is not necessary at all. However, if you feel that your soil is not rich, you can add a fertilizer based on potassium or phosphorus.
Propagation
Some ornamental ash species can be propagated vegetatively, however, most ash species are propagated by seed.
Maintenance and care
Ash trees do not need any special care, nor do they need pruning. However, if you still think it is necessary, then it should be pruned in October.
Seed drying
The scales ripen during September and October, during which time their color changes from green to brown. It is best to harvest seeds that are completely brown. They can be removed from the branches in October, or even throughout the winter, before the wind blows them away. Simply use your fingers to gently tear them off the tree. If you have picked green flakes (or even those that have started to turn brown), store them in airtight bags. So the green scales still have a high moisture content, which can cause the seeds to rot.
Diseases
There are several harmful diseases and pests. Some of the most common diseases are those caused by Nectria fungi (Nectria Canker and Nectria Dieback (originally called Chalara fraxinea, now known as Hymenoscyphus fraxineus)) and anthracnose.
Nectaria Canker
Nectaria Canker is characterized by the formation of wounds that form on twigs, branches and trunks. In the scars on the leaves, or wherever injuries occur, this disease can appear. Injuries can be caused by pruning (especially improper pruning), frost, insects, cracking from snow or ice. The disease first appears as a slight sinking of the bark. Smaller branches infected with this disease can wilt very quickly.
There is no cure for the cancer that Nectria causes. Remove smaller branches by pruning. Disinfect pruning tools after each cut by immersing them in a 10% bleach or alcohol solution for at least 30 seconds (spray disinfectants containing at least 70% alcohol can also be used).
Chalara fraxinea
The asexual phase of the mushroom’s life cycle was previously known as Chalara fraxinea (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), hence the name of the disease, and the sexual phase was called Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus. Some older scientific and technical documents still use the earlier names of this mushroom.
Among the first symptoms that an ash tree is probably infected with H. fraxineus is blackening and wilting of leaves and shoots. Most infected leaves drop prematurely from trees, but in some cases the infection can spread from the leaves to twigs, branches and eventually the trunk, causing dark lesions.
There is no known cure, although some fungicides may be effective in controlling the disease. Gardeners can stop the local spread of this disease by collecting fallen leaves, burning or burying them. This disrupts and interrupts the life cycle of the fungus.
Anthracnose
This disease results in extensive defoliation, death of shoots and even death of the ash tree itself. Signs of anthracnose are often confused with signs of frost damage. Brown areas appear on the leaves, branches and trunk. A purple-brown color may also appear on the leaves.
To prevent the spread of this disease, it is necessary to remove all infected branches and dispose of them, it is best to burn them. You can try spraying your tree with a copper-based fungicide, but be careful, as too much copper can cause toxicity.
The use of ash
Ash wood is known to be so elastic that it is more durable than any other wood. There is also a very long tradition of using white ash as medicine. The Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BC) already knew the healing properties of this tree.
Use in the wood industry
Due to its durability, ash wood is used to make tool handles, such as axes, shovels, hoes, etc. It is also used to make carts, steps, ladders, and even to make sports props like baseball bats, softball bats, or high jump poles. Ash wood is also used for the production of airplanes.
Use in medicine
White ash contains many substances known for their healing properties. Leaves, bark and young twigs contain coumarins (fraxin, esculin and related substances) which inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. The bark and leaves are traditionally used as an herbal remedy against diarrhea.
The substance fraxin found in the bark and leaf has diuretic properties and can increase the excretion of uric acid.
The bark and leaves of the ash tree can act as a mild laxative due to the presence of mannitol and, therefore, can be used as an herbal remedy for constipation and to eliminate intestinal parasites. However, compared to other laxative herbs, the effect is quite weak.
Diseases related to the bladder and kidneys are also treated with the bark of this tree. In addition, it is used to remove stones in the urinary tract. Because of its properties, the bark can help treat gout in the elderly and can be beneficial for other rheumatic disorders, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
There are no registered side effects when white ash is used as an herbal remedy. Ash can cause allergic reactions in some people. Cases of pollen allergy have been reported, but are considered uncommon.
Use in cooking
Depending on the species, ash sap and bark can have a very sweet taste. This is because ash contains mannose. Moreover, the ash bark is edible and the leaves are considered refreshing and revitalizing. Even the flakes can be used to prepare and flavor marinades.
History and curiosities
The Vikings considered white ash a sacred tree. In Norse mythology, an ash tree named Yggdrasil was an immensely large tree that was the center of the world and spread its crown over the entire earth. They believed that nine worlds, including our world, sprang from that tree.
Leaves fermented in sugar water or water mixed with honey were used to prepare a special type of wine. Ash was believed to have both healing and mystical properties: Pliny (a Roman scientist) advised the use of ash juice against snake venoms (legends even say that snakes even avoided crawling near the tree, even trying to avoid the shadow cast by the tree’s canopy ), and it was also believed that bad spirits are driven away by burning ash trees. This is perhaps the reason why it is called the “tree of life” in Norwegian mythology. Even today, the ash tree is sometimes known under the name “forest Venus” (goddess of beauty, love, fertility), which suggests a magical connection with life.
White-leaved trees
Ash is one of the numerous types of coniferous trees. What all species have in common is that their leaves, which appear in the spring months, change color from green shades to warm red, yellow, orange or brown tones during autumn. Considering that the leaves fall from the trees before winter, we also call this type of trees deciduous trees.
Deciduous or deciduous trees differ in the height they can reach, the bark of the tree, the shape of the crown, the shape of the leaves, the type of roots, the appearance of fruits and flowers, etc. Most of these trees bloom in the spring with fragrant flowers that attract insects and thus pollinate. Fruits develop from the pollinated flowers, which are edible in some types of conifer trees, but not in others.
In addition to ash, the most common species in our area are holm oak and cypress, poplar, wild chestnut, hornbeam, linden, elder, acacia, wild cherry, apple, sycamore, hazel, sweet chestnut, maple, alder, birch, elm, willow. and various fruit trees.
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