One of three ash species native to north-western Europe, and now threatened by ash dieback. Introduced by 1815.

Native central and southern Europe, including France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, and eastwards to Israel and Pakistan, and to north-west Africa. Uncommon, mostly found in streets and parks in England, infrequent in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Monoecious, sometimes andromonoecious (flowers sometimes only male, or males mixed with hermaphrodite). Wind-pollinated. Wind-dispersed.

Medium (30m), vigorous, with a dense canopy of ascending, often upswept branches. Bark dark grey, maturing into deep fissures. Twigs glabrous; buds brown with a velvety grey coat, opposite. Foliage light and feathery, shining in sunlight, golden yellow in autumn. Leaves compound pinnate (15-25cm) with 7-13 lanceolate, long-pointed leaflets (4-7cm), shiny and glabrous both sides, jaggedly toothed becoming entire near the base, stalkless except the terminal leaflet, the rachis winged from the base to the first leaflet pair. Flowers in dense petal-less panicles, green with red-tipped parts. Fruits are samaras ('keys') in dense clusters on female trees (40mm wing), often persisting over winter. Common Ash differs: less furrowed bark, black buds, dull leaves. Manna Ash differs: smoother bark, 5-9 hairy-undersided leaflets, white-petalled flowers.

Hardy to -15°C, adaptable to many soils, preferring fertile, moist but not waterlogged ground. Cultivars are usually grafted onto Common Ash, in time outgrowing and looking unsightly at the rootstock. Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa 'Raywood' has attractive red-purple autumn foliage.

A keystone species in its natural range. No notable associations where introduced.

Equally susceptible to ash dieback (see p. xxx) as Common Ash.

Ornamental. Its timber is inferior to other European ash species, used for pulp or plywood. Like its close relative Manna Ash (p. xxx), its sap is also harvested to produce manna.