Fraxinus excelsior

European ash or common ash is in the olive or Oleaceae family and is native throughout mainland Europe, growing to 18 m tall.

• Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound, 20–35 cm long, with 7–13 leaflets with coarsely serrated margins, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 3–12 cm long and 0.8–3 cm broad and no stocks on the leaves (sessile).
• Both male and female flowers can occur on the same tree, but it is more common to find all male and all female trees. A tree that is all male one year can produce female flowers the next, and similarly a female tree can become male.
• Females occur in light panicles, males in tighter groups, both being light green to dark purple, without petals, showing before leaves appear in early spring.
• Fruit is a samara 2.5–4.5 cm long and 5–8 mm broad, often hanging in bunches through the winter.
• Buds are jet black, unlike most other ash species which have brown buds.