Fraxinus excelsior

Origin: Europe, Minor Asia

Botanical characteristics: It is a large deciduous medium-growing tree usually up to 40 mt high, with a slender main trunk and regular expanded foliage. Bark is light grey with deep fissures. It has particular black gems. Leaves are pinnate and up to 30 cm long, composed of 9-13 lanceolate leaflets which are dark green on the upper side and lighter below, with serrated margins. In autumn they turn light yellow. Flowers are often unisexual but they can be hermaphrodites as well. Male flowers are yellow-red and gathered in clusters. Female ones are pale green.
Fruits are samaras gathered in clusters, with single lanceolate-linear wings. They are brown in fall and persist on the plant.

Agronomic and environmental characteristics: It can be found in northern and central Italy in forests up to 1500 meters. It grows in fertile, fresh and deep soils, but it adapts to other conditions. It has an high resistance to pollution and salinity.

Use: It is suitable for urban areas, tree-lined streets and parking lots, the afforestation of barren, abandoned, industrial areas and hillsides and mountains. In parks and gardens it is used as single exemplary or in woody gardens.